Procreation
by O'NeillRoxMyWorld
Summary: REPOSTED AND PROOFREAD! SG1 without Daniel goes to the aid of an alien civilisation? But who is really in need of saving? FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1

Major Samantha Carter knocked on the door to the bases' gym room

Title: Procreation

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I just use these characters for cheap therapy.

I'm re-posting this after several years because I was completely mortified after seeing all my atrocious spelling mistakes and really looong run on sentences. (I swear I didn't even know the full stop existed. I was 13 years old, give me a break)

Spoilers: Season 4. After "Divide and Conquer"

Major Samantha Carter knocked on the door to the base's gym room. She heard the weights clang as a muffled voice ordered her to enter. As Sam opened the door she spotted her Commanding Officer, Colonel Jack O'Neill, wearing grey track pants and an oversized Air Force t-shirt, stepping away from the dumbbell shelf on the far wall of the room. As he reached for a towel Jack noticed his visitor,

"What's up Carter?" he asked.

"General Hammond wants to see us in his office ASAP sir." Sam explained, standing slightly stiff in the presence of the Colonel in less formal attire. Jack threw his towel around his neck and pulled on a jacket, the temperature was always ten degrees too cold in the General's office.

"Ok let's go, lead the way Major," he indicated towards the door, following her from the room.

The two officers knocked and entered the office of General Hammond, the man in charge of all SGC personnel. They noticed Teal'c already standing in front of the large oak desk in the middle of the room, the General sitting behind it.

"Come in Colonel, Major." Hammond invited. Sam and Jack then took their positions beside Teal'c waiting for the General to explain why they were there.

"Dr Jackson is on another mission with SG5 so he will be gone for a week or so." He began, before moving onto the real reason why they were there.

"At 0450 this morning we received a strange communication from another planet." The General reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a tape recorder, hitting the play button.

"_We seek your guidance oh great Tauri. We seek your knowledge and great wisdom, please come." _

A young woman's voice spoke, urgency clear in her tone. Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise, Sam's expression mimicking the Colonel's.

"General, do we know where the signal came from sir?" Sam enquired curiously.

"Yes. They left the connection open long enough to send through the co- ordinates. They are being programmed into the dialling computer as we speak." He replied. Jack seemed impatient, and noting his eagerness, General Hammond added,

"You leave in one hour Colonel, get your team geared up and ready to go." Jack smiled.

"Yes sir." He answered enthusiastically, turning to leave the room, Teal'c and Sam following close behind.

AN HOUR LATER…

As the probe disappeared through the blue wall of the Stargate, the member's of SG1 vision focused on the monitor mounted on the wall above them. The probe landed on the planet and soon the camera was shooting the area surrounding the Gate. Large, snow capped peaks came into view, and as the camera panned, a number of widespread areas of forest appeared at the base of the mountains. There were no visible signs of any human population, buildings or advanced technologies. Colonel O'Neill and his team stood in the Gate Room waiting to for the go ahead from General Hammond. After five minutes or so, time enough to take readings of atmospheric conditions, gases and the air temperature, a voice came through the speakers.

"Ok Colonel, you have a go." Hammond relayed. Jack saluted half-heartedly above him to where the General was standing and proceeded to climb the steel ramp towards the Stargate. Teal'c and Sam picked up the crate of supplies, following the Colonel up the ramp.

"Oh great Tauri!" Jack exclaimed, mimicking the voice on the tape, "Here's hoping we don't disappoint." He commented, before plunging through the shimmering barrier to another world.

As the team leapt from the Stargate onto the planet's surface they noticed a large crowd of thousands of people, kneeling before them. Teal'c and Sam immediately dropped the crate, stepped towards to crowd in amazement. A young woman, around 17 or so, with long, brown hair and deep green eyes stepped forward from the group. She walked, almost dancing towards Jack, handing him a basket of yellow roses. Jack looked down at the roses awkwardly.

"There…beautiful!" he replied, forcing a smile. She smiled cheekily and stepped back from the Colonel and knelt down before SG1. Nobody moved for a moment and Sam stepped up beside Jack.

"What do we do now sir?" she asked, taken aback by the spectacle. Instantly, a murmur ran through the crowd. They quickly began to stand, parting from each other to make a path. Jack and Sam peered down the gap looking for what was approaching, not knowing quite what to expect. Sam spotted an elderly man, at least 70 years of age, striding down the man-made path that had been created moments before. The man wore red robes with a gold sash and long gold belt, trailing behind him in the grass. They were significantly different from what the other residents wear wearing. Grey with orange, green, blue or purple sashes or belts. As the elderly man passed each of them, again the people fell to their knees, heads bowed as a sign of respect. Jack leaned slightly towards Sam and whispered.

"They're big on kneeling here."

"Sir, I think he may be the head of their society, he is wearing different clothes to the rest of the people." She theorised.

"Oh!" he exclaimed in reply, he stood slightly straighter as if to present himself better to the leader of the society. When the man reached where Jack, Sam and Teal'c were standing, he stopped suddenly, and bowed his head.

"Welcome to Ariana, we are elated that you have granted our request to come to our planet, I am Hymothesias, the leader of these people." He introduced the group behind him. Jack stepped forward in response.

"I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, this is Major Carter and Teal'c," he indicated to each of his team member's standing beside him. At the mention of Teal'c's name, Hymothesias stumbled back in fear, cowering to the ground, shaking.

"No! He must not be here! He must go! He must go!" he began to shriek, repeating the phrase unrelentingly. The Aranians immediately mimicked Hymothesias. Throwing themselves to the ground, their yells echoed around the mountains and forest surroundings. Teal'c raised his eyebrow in silent curiousity. Many times people had feared him as he did serve Apophis in the past, but he had never seen such a bad reaction to his presence. Jack turned to Teal'c regretfully but did not need to say a word. Teal'c bowed slightly.

"I will return through the Stargate, O'Neill." He accepted. Jack smiled gratefully, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, we won't be far behind you." As Teal'c turned towards the DHD, Sam gave him a look of sympathy. She could not imagine how hard it would be for him, to still be condemned because of the way he lived his life in the past. Despite saving many lives from the Goa'uld since joining SG1. As soon as Teal'c disappeared back through the Gate, Hymothesias stopped his protest. Getting to his feet once more, his people once again following his example, he clapped his hands together in satisfaction.

"Come, we will show you our city." He exclaimed, gesturing beyond the White Mountains. Hymothesias turned and led the team through the path of people, towards the city of Arania.

"Unscheduled off world activation." The alarm echoing through the hallways of the SGC. Hammond looked up from writing his report, before leaving his office and heading through the briefing room and down the stairs into the Control Room. Walter was already sitting at the Dialling Computer, scanning for a familiar GDO.

"It's SG1 sir." He reported.

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered, taking the microphone in his hand.

"Stand down." he ordered the officers that had surrounded the Stargate, ready to attack on command. He headed for the staircase to the lower level, opening the door to the Gate Room. As the doors slid open he noticed Teal'c stepping down from the ramp.

"What happened Teal'c?" Hammond asked surprised to see him back so soon. Teal'c dropped the crate he had carried back through the Stargate.

"General Hammond, we were greeted by the inhabitants of the planet. I returned as the people there were not so welcoming to me as they were to Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter." He replied, distain clear in his voice. Hammond nodded, also feeling sympathy for Teal'c's situation.

"Thank you Teal'c." Hammond responded. Teal'c bowed his head respectfully and walked from the Gate room, heading towards the infirmary for a brief visit before retiring to the solitude of his quarters.

The large group, including Jack and Sam stepped over the top of a large hill and suddenly a large city unfolded before their eyes. The two visitors stared enthralled at tall, sky blue coloured, buildings towering over their slightly smaller counterparts. Presumably they were houses surrounding the centre of trade for the city. At the outskirts of the city, dense forest stood, the lumber camps constructed beside the pine trees were unoccupied. As the group moved down the hill towards the entrance to the city, Jack spotted a large dome structure at the top of the highest skyscraper.

"What's that dome up there?" He asked Hymothesias, pointing to the very top of the building. Hymothesias smiled eagerly as he gazed up at the structure.

"That is our Procreation Complex, we are keen to show you around the facility in due time." He answered cryptically. Jack raised his eyebrows in a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Sam, she mirrored his concerned expression.

"It may be the facility where a form of IVF takes place, they may not socially accept the normal method of reproduction." She guessed hopefully. As they reached the entrance to the main part of the city, the other villagers broke away from the group and went in separate directions. Except for two, the young woman that had handed Jack the flowers on their arrival, and another young man. He was slightly older than his counterpart with curly blond hair and pale skin. As Hymothesias led Jack and Sam past many of the different buildings, the two followed close behind. Sam could feel the man's eyes studying her every move, making her feel slightly uneasy. She turned her head slightly to look back at him, but he gave her an innocent smile in reply. Sam turned back slowly, trying to keep her distance as she continued keep a cautious eye on him. Hymothesias halted in front of one of the many buildings; Jack glanced at the door of the building reading the sign BPFABF. He pointed at the door,

"What does BPFABF mean?" He queried off handedly. The young woman stepped up beside him to show her presence,

"Better People For A Better Future, this is where we create better prospects for our society through medical research." She clarified.

"Oh!" Jack replied, as if it the purpose of the building was blinding obvious. It was the first time the young woman had spoke, and Jack recognised her voice from the message they had received. Hymothesias interjected into Jack's thoughts.

"Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, you must be tired after your journey. Please follow me inside and I will show you to your rooms for the evening." He gestured through the open glass doors. Sam and Jack shared a cautious glance, before stepping inside.

Teal'c sat on the floor of his room meditating; the smell of lilies and violets filling the room wear the aromatherapy candles had made a circle around him. The klaxons bleared unexpectedly, interrupting Teal'c's calming trance. His eyes snapped open and he stood up quickly, the movement of his body making the light from the candles flicker as he left the room. He reached for the doorknob to General Hammond's office but all he grabbed was air, when the door opened itself. General Hammond jumped back slightly in alarm; almost bowling Teal'c over is his haste.

"Sorry Teal'c." He apologised.

"General Hammond, what is happening?" Teal'c asked. The General sighed tiredly.

"We have an unauthorised off world activation." He explained quickly, taking off down the hallway towards the Stargate Controls. Again Walter was at the computer. He looked up hearing footsteps enter behind him.

"No recognisable IDC or GDO sir, but it is from P0T 154." Hammond looked back at Teal'c.

"I believe it may be the Aranians General," Teal'c responded to the General's non-verbal request for an explanation. The General stood for a moment deep in thought, deciding whether or not to open the iris. If it were Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter they would have used SG1 IDC to identify themselves. The group of armed officers again filled the Gate Room and raise their firearms in anticipation of an alien incursion.

"Open the iris," He ordered. They watched as the iris retracted from the centre of the gate, suddenly the lights flickered and the SGC was plunged into darkness. The Stargate also immediately shut down. Teal'c and all the other officers on the base waited a moment for the back up generators to restore the power, but after a few moments the General became impatient.

"Sargeant," General barked, "Why do we not have any power?" he asked irritably.

"I don't know sir, something must have interfered with the back up generators sir." Walter guessed. In the pitch black, he felt his way over to the emergency kit on the wall next to the desk and pulled three torches from inside. He clicked on one for himself and searched for General Hammond and Teal'c through the darkness. He each handed them a torch, and two more beams of light filled the room, illuminating the control panel. Down below, the soldiers also retrieved their torchlights. Something caught Teal'c's eye, he looked down at the floor in front of the ramp and spied a spherical, silver object.

"General Hammond." He called, pointing his torch to where it sat.

"What is that?" Hammond enquired, puzzled. Teal'c sighed,

"It looks to be a version of a Goa'uld Saboteur Device. It radiates a considerable amount of power. It is used to disable the enemy's ability to defend themselves from incursion. I have not seen one in many years." He described. Hammond frowned

"So that's what would have caused the black out?" He re-iterated. Teal'c nodded.

"I believe so." The General peered down at the small object, his mind racing with thoughts of how and why someone had sent this.

"This came from the Aranians, this could mean that O'Neill and Major Carter may be in trouble." Teal'c began.

"They didn't want us to send a team through if they didn't return." General finished the thoughts. As much as he was worried about his people, his first priority was to restore power to the SGC.

"Sargeant, find the chief engineer and see if he can get to work fixing the generators. Teal'c you go and assist them with the repairs," Hammond handing his people their orders. Teal'c bowed his head and followed Walter from the room, leaving Hammond alone in the Control Room with only a solitary beam of light for company.

Jack and Sam were led down a long corridor, the walls painted a deep red colour. Jack's eyes shifted unsteadily as they walked past hundreds of doors, his apprehensive expression finally meeting Sam's. She whispered to him, her voice not heard over the sound of five people's feet hitting the ground as they walked. Jack had to lip read to understand what she had said.

"We'll talk later." He interpreted. Jack nodded in agreement as Hymothesias stopped in front of two doors at the end of the hallway, each displaying a number, 228 and 229.

"These are your rooms for the duration of your stay. Ania and Mavian will assist you with any problems or concerns you may have. You should rest tonight and tomorrow we will give you a guided tour of the Procreation Complex." He explained. Ania and Mavian each pulled out a set of keys from under their robes, Ania opening the door to Room 228 and Mavian to Room 229. Jack and Sam thanked them respectfully and both entered their respective rooms, Jack to 228 where Ania was standing, and Sam to 229 where Mavian was still watching her intently. They immediately shut the doors behind them, Both Mavian and Ania having to jump out of the way to avoid being hit by the fast closing doors. The two Aranians turned and looked towards Hymothesias for an explanation of the Tauri's strange behaviour but he waved off their concern.

"Do not worry, they will co operate when they are taken the complex. They will co operate or be imprisoned until they do." He assured them, an evil smile dominating his usual friendly facade.

Sam looked around her room, her earlier suspicions resurfacing instantly. It looked like the bedroom of Austin Powers himself. In the right hand corner of the room; a large spa was built into the floor, scented candles and rose petals surrounding it, bubbles already forming on the top of the water. On the back wall, was a king size bed that was shaped like a love heart, complete with red silk sheets, heart shaped cushions, and more rose petals. In the very centre of the room stood two sofas and a massage table, with robes and towels already placed on the table in wait for the next customer. As Sam looked around the room the definite and apparent theme began to take shape. The wallpaper was covered in red love hearts, and dozens of painting hung on the walls portraying men and women in various provocative poses. She dropped the bag she was carrying to the floor and simple stood in disbelief at the obvious way in which the Aranians were trying to interest them in their Procreation project. It gave her the sick feeling there was more to them being here than to just share knowledge with the Aranians.

A soft knock came from the left hand side of the room. Sam hearing the noise, spotted a door that connected her room with the Colonel's. Sam immediately walked over to it and opened it, grateful to see something that reminded her of home. Jack had his hand up, in the position to knock on the door again. When he saw Sam he dropped it to his side quickly.

"Ah sir…" she began, not knowing exactly how to describe what she was trying to say. Jack nodded.

"Yeah something really wrong is going on, come on…the Procreation Complex? And if this isn't a push in that direction I don't know what is. I feel like I'm Austin Powers in this…thing." He described awkwardly. He leant forward to see into Sam's room.

"Yep, yours is exactly the same as mine, down to the number of rose petals around the Jacuzzi." He commented, sarcastically. Sam opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again, finding it hard to find the correct words. Jack noticed her discomfort.

"What's up Carter?" he asked, knowing that the environment they were standing in not exactly the most comfortable. Sam sighed.

"That young man that was walking behind me while Hymothesias was showing us the city, I got the feeling he was watching me a little too closely sir." Sam explained reluctantly, worried that she had imagined Mavian's interest in her. Jack frowned,

"Yeah I got that feeling too." He admitted much to Sam's surprise.

"Something really strange is definitely going on here and frankly, I don't think I even want to know." Sam nodded in agreement,

"I mean he did seem eager to give us the guided tour of the Procreation Complex sir." She reminded him. "Not to mention that fact that Ania described it as a place to "create" a better society." Sam emphasising the word "create" in her sentence. A realisation suddenly hit her as she put the little clues together.

"Sir, you don't think they…" she trailed off, believing the Colonel could fill in the blanks for himself. Jack raised his eyebrows slightly at her suggestion, instantly breaking eye contact with her guiltily. It wasn't a secret to either of them that they each had feelings for the other that extended far beyond their military ranks. But they agreed at the very beginning that they would not let them interfere with their position in the Air Force. Jack re-focused his thoughts and lifted his eyes to meet her.

"Well we'd better get some sleep, we will need to ask for our weapons back just in case you are right Carter, than we can run as far away from this place as we can." Jack joked, trying to hide his obvious worry. Sam smiled shyly.

"Goodnight sir." She closed the door between the rooms and stood in front of the door, deep in thought. Jack turned his back on the door and leaned against it, memories of the past invading his thoughts.

"It's no use sir. The electric current from the Goa'uld device has disintegrated all of the wiring throughout the whole base. It will take at least a week to properly replaced all of the damaged wire and to reconnect the circuits." Major Ryan, the chief engineer reported the situation back to the General. The group, including Teal'c and Walter, was standing in the General's office; the room was illuminated by portable industrial lamps. Hammond sighed, thinking about Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter. They had no way of knowing what was happening to them, if they were captured, or even if they were still alive.

"Teal'c we need to contact Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter and find what is happening on P0T 154." Hammond began, conveying their mutual concern.

"We cannot go through the Stargate as we have no power to activate it correctly." Teal'c stated.

"So what do we do?" Walter asked. The room feel silent as the four men tried to come with a solution to their current problem.

"We are still in possession of the ship from Anubis." Teal'c declared, a plan began to take shape in his mind.

"I didn't think it was operational?" Walter enquired.

"I believe it could sustain the journey to Abydos. From there whomever is flying the ship can proceed to P0T 154 using their Stargate." Teal'c explained his plan.

"Will that work?" Hammond asked, from his last reports the ship was severely damaged when it returned from it's last mission. The Chief Engineer interrupted,

"Excuse me sir, but I believe that the structural integrity may not be able to sustain the jump into hyperspace." Major Ryan clarified. The general sighed disappointed; he couldn't in all good conscience risk one's of his people's lives knowing the potential hazards. Teal'c protested,

"I am prepared to General Hammond." He stood tall showing he was not afraid of the prospective danger he could encounter.

"No Teal'c I cannot let you go knowing the risks involved." Hammon countered.

"Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter may be in considerable danger." Teal'c argued. Hammond stood from his chair,

"I can't allow you to endanger your own life Teal'c, I'm sorry." Teal'c sighed, he turned to leave the general's office but he was stopped by the General.

"Teal'c?" He almost blurted out. Teal'c turned back towards the general at the mention of his name. Hammond held his breath breifly, knowing what he was about to do could get him court martialled, or even thrown in prison. But he knew it might be the only way to save his people.

"If you were forced to use the ship without authorisation, I wouldn't stop you." He replied slowly, emphasising the real meaning behind his message. Teal'c raised his eyebrow slightly. Recognising the underlying message, hr nodded, showing he understood before quickly leaving the room. Major Ryan immediately began to protest but Hammond cut him off.

"You never heard this conversation Major… that is an order." He said sternly, his tone indicating there was to be no discussion on the topic. Ryan sighed, knowing he had to follow orders.

"Yes sir." Was all he could say in reply.

TBC.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack woke up early, his dream of fishing on his favourite lake and catching the largest trout ever seen slowly dissolved away

Jack woke up early, his dream of fishing on his favourite lake and catching the largest trout ever seen slowly dissolved away. He looked around at the room and instantly returned to the uncomfortable feeling he had gone to sleep with the previous night. He pushed back the silk sheets and pulled himself to his feet, stretching briefly. He fell silent and listened for any indication that Sam was awake in the room beside him. But he heard nothing but the sound of his own shallow breaths. He tiptoed carefully to the door separating their rooms and knocked on it softly.

"Carter? Carter you awake?" he whispered in case she wasn't. After a few moments and still no response, he pushed the door open a fraction and peered into the room. Jack spotted her still asleep on the heart shaped bed, the sheets tucked up under her neck for warmth. He pushed open the door further so he could see her face. Even in her sleep she had the face of an angel. A slight smile graced her lips, obviously dreaming that she was somewhere else other than this creepy room. Jack stood perfectly still, not able to take his eyes off her. Time seemed to stand still, in that moment, his gaze transfixed on Sam's every movement. Every feature. But as she began to stir from her peaceful sleep the moment was lost. Jack smiled cheekily to himself, retreating silently back to his room, gently closing the door to avoid alerting her to his momentary presence. Jack quickly dressed and laid back on his bed, waiting for her to knock at the door. He did not have to wait long; a soft knock came at the door only minutes later.

"Come in Carter." Jack invited. Sam pushed open the door and stepped inside, fully dressed for the long day ahead.

"Good morning sir." She greeted him, a tired and weary smile on her face.

"Morning." He replied halfheartedly.

"The Aranians will probably be here any minute to begin our morning tour." Jack commented, the enthusiasm in his voice was not as convincing as it could have been. Sam held up her hand indicating he had brought up an important point.

"Yeah about that sir…" she began unsteadily.

"Yeah I know, I think we need to excuse ourselves and leave before this gets an weirder, I don't know about you but this is definitely not what I would call normal." Jack observed, indicating to the room they were in. She nodded in partial agreement.

"I think it could be useful for us if we stay and see if they have developed any technologies that they may be willing to exchange." Sam suggested. Jack bolted upright in the bed.

"Carter! They want to experiment on us!" His voice raised slightly, not believing that she was even suggesting co-operating with these people.

"Yes sir I realise that, but that doesn't mean that we have to participate," Sam pointed out, "We will simply have to explain to them that the way they reproduce is seen as immoral on Earth." She summated, as if it was a simple solution. Jack opened his mouth to immediately reject Sam's argument, but the insistent expression on her face softened his resolve. He nodded slightly, still unconvinced.

"Good." Sam replied, satisfied. Jack got to his feet,

"And you can be the one to explain the whole thing to them." He said, letting the other shoe drop. Sam opened her mouth to protest, but realised that she had dug her own grave. A knock came at the door to the Colonel's room, making both Sam and Jack jump slightly in alarm.

"Carter…" he whispered urgently.

"I'm going sir." Sam replied, creeping silently back to her room. When Jack saw the door close behind her, he called out to the visitor.

"Come in." The door opened and Ania stepped into the room. She had a sly, seductive smile on her face as she strode confidentially across the room to stand a few feet in front of Jack.

"I hope you are refreshed Colonel O'Neill, we have a very big day ahead of us." She told him, her eyes slowly travelling across his body. Jack shivered internally, his stomach twisting in knots under her intense gaze. Jack scampered over to the door to Sam's room and rapped on it loudly. He stared at the door, silently praying for the door to open so he wouldn't have to spend another second alone with Ania. A few moments later, Sam opened the door and immediately saw the relieved look on Jack's face at seeing her.

"Was their something you wanted sir?" Sam asked innocently.

"Yeah we are going for the grand tour, you comin'?" Jack asked casually. Sam got the message from his tone that she really didn't have a choice.

"Of course, I can't wait." She replied eagerly, giving Ania a wide, fake smile. Ania shook her head side to side vehemently.

"Do not worry Major Carter. Mavian will be by soon, he will escort you to the facility." She explained, clearly wanting time alone with Jack to become better acquainted. Sam gave Jack a sideways glance of apprehension; he nodded to assure her that he was not going to leave her alone with Mavian.

"Well he can catch up with us on the way… unless there's a problem with that?" Jack challenged Ania thoughtfully. She opened her mouth to protest, but a hand fell sharply on her shoulder making her jump like a naughty child. Mavian stood ominously in the doorway behind Ania, clearly showing his authority. Ania slowly closed her mouth, her cheeks going slightly red with embarrassment.

"There is no problem. Please follow us and we will meet with Hymothesias and then proceed to the complex." Mavian answered for his counterpart, removing his hand from her shoulder and letting her relax. As they turned to leave the room, Sam whispered to Jack.

"Thank you sir."

Dr Fraiser and General Hammond stood in the Infirmary discussing SG6's post mission physicals. Janet was in mid sentence when the General's temporary mobile phone rang unexpectedly. Hammond mouthed an apology to his colleague; Fraiser waved it off indicating it was ok. He flipped open the tiny, matchbox size phone.

"This is Hammond." He answered officially.

"Sorry sir, but someone has stolen Anubis' ship from the repair facility. The ship just exited the Earth's atmosphere no less than 5 minutes ago sir." Major Ryan informed him, a hint of "I told you this would backfire on you," was present in his voice. Hammond nodded slowly, not knowing how to react to the news.

"Do we have any tracking devices on board to monitor and locate where the ship is?" he asked, appearing to follow procedures in cases like these.

"Yes sir but we just lost the signal. The ship just entered hyperspace." Major Ryan explained. The general sighed, silently hoping that Teal'c would make it to Abydos safely.

"Major Ryan, keep me informed. If you come across anything else please inform me immediately." The General ordered.

"Yes sir." Hammond hung up the phone, immediately turning his attention back to SG6's files. Dr Fraiser glanced at the General confusion.

"Aren't you going to concentrate on finding out who stole the ship sir?" She enquired. The General shook his head,

"I'm sure he'll bring it back." He commented off-handedly. Janet raised her eyebrows, sensing there was something more, but refrained from saying anything.

As the small cargo ship travelled through hyperspace, Teal'c continually monitored the hull integrity. It was 13 hours before he would reach his destination, so he sat back into his chair and began to Kelnoreem.

As the dignitaries began to break away from the table where they had just eaten breakfast, Hymothesias stood to address Sam and Jack.

"Colonel O'Neill we would like to give you the tour of our Procreation Complex now. If you would follow me, Ania, Mavian, you can prepare the area for the appropriate time." He requested. They each stood up and bowed to him respectfully before leaving the dining room. Both Jack and Sam let out a sigh of relief at Ania's and Mavian's departure. Hymothesias turned and glared at them, clearly alarmed by their behaviour. Realising how obvious they had been Jack smiled in response.

"We are really full from that fantastic breakfast." He explained cheerfully, trying to sound as convincing as possible. Hymothesias' eyes shifted to Sam, who also smiled fakely. She played along with Jack's explanation, patting her stomach to press her point. Hymothesias gave them both a suspicious looks before before turning and leading the way from the dining room through the main door. Jack and Sam trailed behind him,

"Nice touch." He commented, indicating to her hand that had not yet moved from its position on her stomach. Sam quickly removed it, pulling her hands behind her nervously.

"General there's a call for you sir, it's the president." Walter informed the General. He was watching the decontamination team quarantined the sphere object on the floor of the Gate room that had caused so many problems. He turned and headed for the privacy of his office, picking up the temporary presidential mobile phone.

"Good Morning Mr President." Hammond greeted his superior.

"General, what is this I hear that you did nothing to investigate the theft of the only ship on Earth capable of travelling to other worlds in our known galaxy?" President Lynch demanded an explanation, skipping the pleasantries altogether. The General stiffened slightly, not knowing how the president found out about the incident.

"Mr President, I was aware of whom is in possession of the ship, where they are taking it and the purpose they are using it for." He explained, defending his actions.

"Well General if you knew these things why did you keep it under wraps?" The President asked, becoming impatient. Hammond immediately regretted his actions but the President insisted on clarification.

"Mr President, two members of SG1, Colonel Jack O'Neill and Major Samantha Carter were on a mission. An hour after they left, we received an unauthorised off world activation from the planet they were on. A Goa'uld device was sent through the Gate that subsequently damaged all the electrical systems throughout the SGC. I felt that there may be a strong possibility that both the Colonel and Major could be in danger on the planet but we could not reach them as the Stargate was not operational." He explained, filling the President in on all the details but he was interrupted.

"Just skip the hoo-haa General and tell me about our stolen ship!" Lynch yelled down the phone line, making his message clear.

"Yes sir, unfortunately the only possible way to contact Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter would be to transport to another planet with a Stargate and use their gate to access the planet. Teal'c, another member of SG1 volunteered for the journey, but our Chief Engineer Major Ryan warned that the ship could lose its hull integrity as soon as it entered hyperspace. I could not in good conscience authorise such a rescue attempt as it would have put his life in danger." General described.

"So this Teal'c, he has taken the ship to try and save Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter risking his own life? Where we he get such an idea General?" The President asked sarcastically. It automatically hit Hammond after the President's comment who had told informed him about Teal'c. He made a note to himself to have a chat with Major Ryan and express his dissatisfaction with the Major's conduct.

"It was from me sir." The General admitted, freely, taking the blame where it was to be taken.

"You advised another SGC personnel to steal a US government ship on the odd chance that it could bring back to officers that may or may not be in any significant danger?" President Lynch asked, unable to contain his anger.

"Yes…sir." Hammond stood up to the President, not backing away from his actions at this late stage. He heard the President sigh audibly on the other end of the line before giving his response.

"I will be discussing your conduct with the other members tomorrow, pray for leniency General." He threatened before the line went dead, abruptly.

"Welcome to the Procreation Complex." Hymothesias introduced the area. Sam and Jack stepped uneasily from the lift that had brought them to the top of the skyscraper. Jack looked around uncomfortably and caught Sam's arm, pulling her close to him,

"Doesn't this remind you of certain places back home?" he queried carefully, hoping he was not the only one to notice the striking resemblance. The room was painted a deep purple colour, a single, long desk occupied the centre of the area with various machines busily at work. A bored receptionist-looking woman with blonde hair was typing at what looked to be a very old style of computer. What made the two officers shudder were the many doors leading from the main entrance hall, each having a number engraved on a gold plaque. It was identical to the rooms they stayed in the previous night. Four of the rooms had the letter L before a three-digit number, different to the others that simply counted up from 0. Sam stared around the room shocked, she suspected that such things took place but never in such prudent manner. Hymothesias stood tall with pride, proud of his complex; it's rituals and results.

"So? What do you think? Is it not perfect?" He asked gleefully, like a child with a new toy.

"Oh yeah…real swell." Jack answered, with a pained expression.

"Oh but you have not seen the best part, the laboratories are where the great miracles happen. There are merely tools for the end result. I will show you." Hymothesias scampered excitedly over to the door marked L003. Sam fell into step with Jack.

"You can say that again." She mumbled under her breath. Jack looked at her in surprise.

"You know, you are starting to sound more and more like me, it's not a good thing Major." He joked, trying to relieve the tension of the situation.

"Sorry sir, I try harder not too sir." Sam promised. Jack nodded,

"Good," He replied, peeking at Sam and seeing a smile on her face, something that had become a rarity since they had arrived. Hymothesias pushed open the door to the lab and the smell of disinfectant over powered them.

"Whoa!" Jack coughed, choking on the fumes, but Hymothesias did not seem to notice Jack's obvious discomfort.

"Welcome to where the real changes take place." He gestured to the dozens of people working at steel benches covered in tubes of chemicals of different colours. They watched as a woman pulled open a door revealing refrigeration cupboards lining the walls of the room. Hymothesias began the tour eagerly, weaving his way among the people, talking as he went.

"This is where our scientists work towards eliminating all defects within our society's genetics. We are trying to wipe out all diseases and unnatural anomalies. We hope in time to become and extremely advanced society, both technologically and socially." He explained the research being conducted.

"Sir it's just like what the Chinese tried to do years ago." Sam whispered vaguely, her attention somewhere else. She was disgusted by what the society was attempting, creating the perfect human being by sacrificing hundreds of others in the process. Jack stared at the scientists working, stunned.

"Brings a whole new meaning to the X Files…" Jack shuddered. A male worker stepped up to Hymothesias; he wore a long white suit and facemask.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but we lost Specimen 115 672 earlier this morning. Complications while trying to remove the recessive gene from the mother." He reported officially. Hymothesias lowered his head in sadness,

"I am very sorry to hear that, thank you for informing me." He replied, the man bowed and returned to his bench. The worker than proceeded to take another specimen from the refrigeration cupboards and begin work on it. Sam's eyes opened wide, stunned.

"So you experiment on formed zygotes to create the perfect human being?" She asked in disbelief. Hymothesias stared at the Major not understanding the problem.

"Yes, why do you not have means of doing this on your planet?' he asked, confused as to why people more advanced than himself would not be familiar with the form of reproduction.

"Ah, we have the means, but we choose not to do it." Jack broke his silence, resentment showing through in his voice. Hymothesias let out a long breath; he had been defeated on his argument.

"Well I will deceive you no longer. The reason we brought you to our planet was to have you give us assistance in our developmental research. But I see now that we now face a dilemma." He admitted. Jack stepped forward,

"Yeah you see we don't do things like this on our planet. It's called cruelty." Voicing his disgust openly. Sam laid her hand on his elbow, relaxing Jack slightly. She pulled him back gently so that she could clarify what he was trying to say.

"You see on our planet, we reproduce in the natural way. The woman becomes pregnant and carries the child for approximately nine months before giving birth. To us it is immoral to experiment with human lives in order to maybe, sometime in the future create the perfect society at the sacrifice of many others." Hymothesias looked around the room thoughtfully,

"So you are refusing to help us?" Hymothesias concluded, making sure he understood what Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter were trying to say.

"Yeah that would be a no." Jack affirmed, quickly. He looked at Sam for back upon the issue but noticed her lost in thought.

"Carter? Something wrong?" he enquired, concerned that she was not with him, her brain anyway. Sam did not move from her position.

"That's the reason you did not want Teal'c to come with us, it wasn't because you were afraid of him. It wasn't because he was Jaffa. He would be undesirable for your purposes wouldn't he?!" She demanded, fuming that he had made Teal'c feel dreadful by pretending to be scared of him and making him leave. Hymothesias lowered his head in shame.

"I am sorry but it had to be done. You don't understand, I am only making a better future for my people." Hymothesias pleaded his case, as if it was justification for his actions. **B**ut his plea fell on deaf ears. Jack and Sam's sheer detestment of Hymothesias growing every second.

"I think we will be leaving now." Jack decided, Sam turned and followed him from the room. But just as they exited the lab, they were immediately stopped by a line of 10 guards with old style shotguns in hand. Hymothesias stepped cockily towards the door.

"Yes well I don't think you have met my guards." He made the quick introductions, sneering. Jack stepped in front of Sam, protecting her from Hymothesias and the guards.

"So you are going to lock us up until we agree to participate in your little experiments? Sorry to disappoint you but that's never going to happen." He threatened, furiously. Hymothesias just laughed evilly in reply.

"Oh you will. If not by free will, then we may have to force the situation." He described threateningly.

"Guards. Take them to Holding Cells 5 and 6 on the lower level. Make sure that all removable property is seized and secured in the vault." He ordered gleefully. One of the guards reached out, grabbing Sam's arm and as he pulled her towards the elevator, she yelped in pain. Jack swivelled around and attacked the guard, punching him in the face in anger. The other guards' instantly detained him, restraining his hands behind his back and adding a kick to the stomach for good measure.

Teal'c was jerked out of Kelnoreem by the sound of warning alarms sounding, and the rapid deceleration of the ship's hyperdrive failing. The ship dropped from hyperspace and into an unknown area of space. Teal'c attempted to reactivate the hyper drive only to find all systems unresponsive. A large flash of blue appeared in front of the cargo ship, and as it disappeared it was replaced by a large Goa'uld mothership. Not noticing the new arrival, Teal'c continued his attempts to fix the hyperdrive until he was interrupted by a voice.

"Unknown ship, identify yourself at once." The message came over the speakers on each side of the control console. Teal'c immediately lifted his head in alarm; studying the ship in an attempt to identify which Goa'uld it belonged to. Without warning, a force field beam shot out from the bow of the mothership. It surrounded the cargo ship and pulling it slowly towards the docking bays of the Goa'uld vessel.

Jack hit the concrete wall; he heard a crack as his elbow smashed against the unforgiving cell wall. He slid to the ground in pain as the door of the cell beside him clang shut, a familiar female groan followed close behind. The cell looked like any other jail cell. On three sides there were steel bars, each one sitting diagonally to another, making crosses along the wall like a primitive Matrix. Jack had his back to the wall, his eyes half closed, still hurting from hitting the wall so hard.

"Are you alright sir?" Sam's soothing and reassuring voice was music to Jack ears. He groaned, pushing him up the wall until he was standing.

"Yeah I'm fine Carter you?" he asked, focussing his attention away from the throbbing in his arm.

"I'm fine sir." Sam replied defeatedly. The two officers stood in silence, their eyes fixed on the floor as neither knew what to say.

"So…" Jack began, trying to say anything to break the tension, but he couldn't find the words. Sam pushed herself away from the bars, turning her back to the Colonel in desperation.

"Sir…" she groaned, overwhelmed by the whole situation.

"Yeah I know. This isn't exactly what I had in mind either." Jack acknowledged, the tension rose as the seriousness of their situation became more apparent. Sam's mind was already formulating possible escape plans. He first thought was to find a weakness in the Aranian's security. But from what she had observed of their security measures, 24 hours guards outside the cell blocks and camera surveillance, it would be near impossible. That only left one option. One of them was going to have to co-operate in order to negotiate the others release.

"Sir… I'll go." Was all she needed to say. Jack knew it was coming; he had had the same thought. But there no way Jack was ever going to let Hymothesias experiment on Sam.

"Carter you are not, I repeat are not going up there with those people. That's an order." He declared sternly, not moving from his position on the wall.

"But sir…" Sam immediately began to protest. She knew he was trying to protect her as he had always done. Jack unexpectantly ran over to the bars, banding his hands against them in a mixture of anger and frustration.

"No! I will not let them experiment on your for their own sick purposes! We are just going to have to find another way to escape this!" He yelled defiantly. Sam was momentarily shocked by Jack's anger, and he saw the alarmed expression on her face. Realising that he was frightening her, Jack forced himself to take few deep breaths.

"By the way, if either of us was even going to consider agreeing to their terms, it would be." He added, belatedly.

"How are we going to do that? We have no weapons. They have three guards outside there monitoring us around the clock, video surveillance. And we have no idea of how long it would take or how much resistance their would be if we did manage to escape and try to get to the gate." Sam described desperately, trying to make him see reason. Jack sighed, feeling drained by helplessness.

"I know." He whispered, his head dropped to his chest, defeated. Sam walked over to him and reached her hand through the bars and tentatively rested it on his. She felt him jump at her unexpected touch.

"Just let me go, I'll be ok." Sam insisted softly. Jack shook his head angrily.

"No! I can't let you do that!" He yelled, angrily, his inner turmoil exploding in the heat of the moment. Silence filled their cells as the two stood perfectly still, her hand still resting on his. They both needed to have something and real and good to hold onto, in a situation where hope was fading. Jack closed his eyes, sighing quietly as he enjoyed the warm of Sam's touch.

"No matter what happens we are sticking together on this. Neither one of us is leaving the other, got it?" Jack asked. Sam heard the pleading in his voice, and couldn't bring herself to argue with him.

"Yes sir." Sam whispered softly. Jack turned his hand over, taking her hand in his and looked up and to meet Sam's bright blue eyes. She gave him a reassuring smile, indicating that they would survive this together.

TBC.


	3. Chapter 3

Note: Chauvah is probably spelt wrong but I'm guessing so sorry about that

4 Days Later…

The general sat in the deserted commissary at 0230 in the morning nursing a strong cup of coffee. He hadn't been able to sleep.. So many things weighed heavily on his mind. What was happening on P0T 154? Had Teal'c made it to Abydos? But the biggest question of all, was he going to lose his job in the Stargate program? The president had not called him to reveal the committees' decision about his conduct, but he saw it as a blessing. The longer they took to reply, the longer he had at the SGC to possibly help Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter. As he drained his cup, the General watched as the remaining specks of coffee granules settle to the bottom of the cup. As he placed it heavily on the table in front of him, the loud cluck against the linoleum tabletop echoed around the room indicating the solitude and loneliness around him. At that moment the lights above him flickered on, the commissary was now brightly lit by the usual fluorescent lights from the ceiling. The general sighed to himself, momentarily enjoying the restoration of SGC's power before pulling himself up from the chair.

"Back to work." He mumbled to himself as he left the commissary.

The crack of a whip moved the procession along the narrow hallways of the great war ship; the prisoner bound hand and foot. It was becoming more obvious to him that it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience as the hours on the Goa'uld vessel dragged by. The procession, including three armed guards, halted in front of large door. One stepped from the original formation around the prisoner and stood in front of a panel directly beside the entrance. He entered a code onto the keypad and a short beep indicated success as the door slid open revealing a large control room. A window directedly in front of them displayed the hyperspace window that ship was travelling through. But what drew the attentions of the guards and the prisoner alike was the female figure standing at the controls of the ship. The mysterious woman turned at the sound of visitors entering, the guards falling to their knees obediently, dragging the unwilling captive down onto his. She was a tall, thin, beautiful woman with long black hair that fell straight down the sides of her face. The black accentuated her unmistakable yellow eyes that glowed like a sun. Her porcelain skin highlighted was by the pure black silk robes that extended down her arms past her fingertips, each nail painted the same coal black colour. The rest of the dress left little to the imagination; the see through material had only bands of black underneath, one covering the woman's chest while the other kept her pelvic region out of direct view. The outfit was clearly used to lure others of the opposite sex in order to gain control. And judging by the guard's reaction to the sight of her, it was having the desired response. Varied amounts of gold jewellery hung from her body, infinite numbers of necklaces and bracelets each with a significant cat symbol hanging from the chain. She looked down at the group triumphantly; it filled her with great pleasure that she had so much power over them.

"Rise." She ordered, a purr escaping from her mouth as she spoke in a familiar distorted Goa'uld voice. The guards instantly obeyed, they rose to their feet, again pulling the prisoner into the proper position. The prisoner's head hung down to his chest. He did not acknowledge his surroundings or her presence and his expression hard and emotionless. The woman stepped forward, grasping his chin firmly and jerking his head up towards her. When she saw the face of her prisoner, she smiled wickedly.

"Teal'c, the traitor has been captured at last." She rejoiced. Teal'c looked into up for the first time, staring fearlessly into her eyes in disgust.

"Bastet." Was all he would say, acknowledging the goddess standing before him. She bowed her head and replied sheepishly.

"The one and only." She glanced at the guards and waved them away flippedly with her hand, silently ordering them to leave her alone with her prisoner. Each guard nodded obediently in reply, turning and leaving the room, the door closing with a loud bang behind them. That left the prisoner and his captor completely alone. Bastet began to pace around Teal'c, admiring him as if an elusive trophy that she had finally caught and was now admiring.

"So Teal'c, what have you been doing since your betrayal of Apophis? Ah yes if memory serves me correctly you have allied yourself with the Tauri?" she asked rhetorically. Teal'c remained silent, watching every move Bastet made. When he did not answer, she knelt down in front of him as if talking to a child.

"Not feeling like talking today?" Bastet asked sarcastically. Teal'c spat in her face, not hiding his feelings of hatred and contempt for the goddess. Bastet wiped his saliva from her nose disgusted, and placed her hand on Teal'c's shirt, wiping the liquid from her hand.

"Well if you will not talk then I will. Let's see what has been happening with me…" Bastet stood and walked to the left hand side of the room, acting as if she was deep in thought.

"Ah yes I became a powerful system lord thanks to your escapades with the Tauri." She spat the word "Tauri" as if she could not stand the taste in her mouth.

"Oh and one little insignificant thing. My daughter was murdered, surprise, surprise again thanks to your little group." Bastet recalled. Teal'c looked up suddenly, confused, his head titled to the side as if not quite understanding what she was saying. She caught a glimpse of his confused expression and smiled fakily, striding back to her dominating position in front of her prisoner.

"Oh you didn't know?" Bastet asked, her hand rested heavily on Teal'c shoulder, her long nails digging into his flesh.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but when you destroyed one of Apophis' new ships, my daughter Bes was supervising the construction for him. She was his queen. She died when the power core of the ship exploded." Bastet described her daughter's untimely demise, bitterness clear in her tone. Teal'c could see tears forming in the goddess' eyes; the paint around them slowly began to run, creating streaks on her pale skin. Teal'c had no answer to Bastet's claim of such an atrocity. The Tokra had not informed them of Bes' presence on the ship. She turned quickly away from Teal'c, realising her emotions had began to show through her usually stern façade.

"Well it doesn't really matter anyway," she began, "because I will have my revenge." Bastet revealed her true, evil intentions.

"And you my prisoner. Traitor of the Goa'uld. Will be the first to die and then…the rest of your team will suffer the same fate." She conspired wickedly. Teal'c's expression did not falter, but on the inside he was concerned of what Bastet would do to him, and what would happen to his friends if he was unable to reach them.

"Guards! Bring me my tools!" Bastet called slyly to the men waiting outside the control room door as she turned her back on her prisoner.

"It's time for Teal'c to repay his debt." She threatened ominously, taking a seat in the golden throne at the ship's controls, awaiting her long awaited and sweet revenge.

The 4 days that had passed felt like an eternity for Jack and Sam. When they weren't being taken for the once a day meal or for toilet stops, the two remained in the same position in their cells, their backs to the concrete wall, their hands linked through what that had affectionately named "The Matrix". Most of the time, not a word was spoken between the two. The only comfort they needed from each other was the knowledge that that other person's hand was always going to be there. The touch that gave them both a feeling of hope in what seemed to be an ever increasingly hopeless situation. Neither of them had slept soundly. When they did, the ear piercing screams from others prisoners of the Aranians jerked them back to the reality they had been attempting to escape from.

After returning from the midday meal, the doors to Jack and Sam's cells clanged shut, again they returned back to their usual position next to the bars.

"Eh god!" Jack exclaimed exhaustedly. Sam sighed overwhelmed by their present situation.

"Sir, are we ever going to get out of here?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly with fear, not sure whether or not she wanted to her the response. Jack shook his head in uncertainty and despair, his hands covering his face muffling his reply.

"I don't know Carter."

"Sir…" she started, pausing momentarily, before completing her sentence.

"Call me Sam, it's not as if anyone back home will ever hear you." She requested quietly, afraid of his reaction. Jack looked at her from the corner of his eye,

"Ok you have to call me Jack, none of this "sir" stuff." Jack insisted, agreeing to her terms. Sam met his gaze and smiled shyly.

"Ok s- Jack." Almost losing the moment to the military ranks that had been drilled into her by the United States Air Force. Jack smiled slightly. He liked the name his name sounded when she said it. In a way it seemed to him that it instantly brought them closer together. Jack and Sam heard the scraping of a key entering the lock to the cellblock door. The two officers instantly looked at each other with the same thought, could this be their way home? The large steel door was pushed open but who entered was the last person Jack or Sam wanted to see. Hymothesias stood in the doorway arrogantly and delivered his message.

"Colonel O'Neill. Major Carter I am glad to see you are still well." Jack snorted softly to himself.

"Wish the feeling was mutual." He muttered. Hymothesias' false sentiment was the last thing he wanted to hear. Hymothesias gave Jack an apprehensive looked before continuing.

"This is wasteful, we both know it is. So I have a proposition that I think you will find interesting." Revealing the true purpose for his visit after four days of imprisonment. Jack stood up, wiping the dirt from his pants and responded.

"Unless you are here to tell us we can go free right now no strings attached, I might be a little reluctant." He spoke harshly with a hint of his usual Jack O'Neill sarcasm, not about to pull any punches at this late stage. Sam also stood and stepped forward indicating her agreement and support for her CO's stand.

"Hear me out Colonel. My proposition is if, one of you, which ever one you choose, comes with me and participates in our research, the other can immediately return back to you planet. Free as a bird as you say. Then we will let the person who stayed behind go freely after it is complete." Hymothesias outlined coolly. Jack immediately began to tell Hymothesias where he could stick his proposal before Sam interrupted him.

"How long exactly would it take?" she enquired, curiously. Jack stared over at Sam in disbelief.

"Sam?" he asked, holding out his hands requestion an explanation.

"5 weeks, approximately, varying depending on the success of genetic blending." Hymothesias guessed. Jack stood still, his eyes studying the expression forming on her Sam's face, contemplation. He ran over to the bars.

"Sam no! We are not, I repeat not doing this!" Jack yelled, trying to shake some sense into her. Tears came to her eyes, Sam was so confused by all the feelings, emotions and statistics flying around in her mind that she could not barely separate them from one another.

"Jack, this is best chance we have of getting out of this alive. I'll go, they'll get what they want and we'll go back home and move forward from this." She whispered as tears rolled down her face. Sam couldn't look at him; she knew his hurt expression would only make her confused.

"If anyone is going with them it will be me. There is no way I'm going to let them take advantage of you." Jack started confidently, but his voice trailed quieter and quieter. It had been the first time he had expressed his feelings for her aloud since their incident with the Zaytarks. Sam walked slowly over to the bars, coming face to face with Jack.

"You know I can't let you do that. I wasn't able to when we were on Apophis' ship that was about to explode and I'm not able to now." She whispered softly. Jack gazed into Sam's deep blue eyes, tears making them blurred.

"Just let me go Sam. Come on, I mean the Stargate Program isn't going to take a nosedive if I don't return straight away. They need you because you've got the brains, you are the smartest person I know." Sam blushed at his compliment, but Jack continued.

"No one will miss me." He commented sullenly. Sam reached her hand tentatively through "The Matrix" and rested it on his cheek softly.

"I'd miss you Jack." She admitted gently. Sam had finally found the courage to push aside her fear and let her heart guide her thoughts. In that single moment Sam felt a huge burden lift from her shoulders. The hurt, the fear, the uncertainty. The reality of her deep feelings for Jack had built up so high that it felt like she was being crushed, stopping her from standing tall and taking control of her own life. Not able to tear his eyes away from Sam's, Jack placed his hand on hers, not a word was spoken as they both stood lost in their own world, forgetting Hymothesias was still standing in the doorway waiting for an answer. Hymothesias cleared his throat loudly, acknowledging his presence. Jack and Sam snapped back from their temporary daze and their hands fell to their sides guiltily, each turning as red as a tomato with embarrassment.

"Yeah about that proposal, the answer is no." Jack affirmed, he threw a small glance at Sam for confirmation, she nodded indicating her agreement. Hymothesias sighed, shaking his head.

"I will be back tomorrow in case you change your mind." He retreated through the entrance and closed the door behind him. As he walked away from the cellblock, Mavius came out from a room off the main corridor and joined Hymothesias walking down towards the reception area.

"So? Did they agree?" Mavius asked impatiently. He had been hoping that Major Carter would be the one to stay behind and help them with the research. She was so beautiful and intelligent; her genetics would make a great contribution to the society. Hymothesias shook his head angrily,

"No. Unfortunately I fear that I have brought Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter close to each other by asking them to choose which one will remain behind." He revealed. Mavius sighed regretfully,

"What are we going to do then?" He asked, at a loss for how they were going to resolve the problem. They could not afford to let this chance slip.

"Ah my young protégé, what you must learn is that great sacrifices sometimes have to be made. Sometimes you have to do malicious things to get what you want." Hymothesias replied mysteriously. Mavius stopped walking and gave Hymothesias a look of confusion.

"What do you mean "great sacrifices"?" He enquired nervously. Hymothesias had not mentioned anything beyond having the visitors participate in the experiments. Hymothesias stopped also and turned back with a brazen smile.

"I mean that if Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter do not accept my proposal…they may find the alternative less than pleasant."

"Sir all systems are operational, Stargate up and running at full capacity, ready to begin dialling co ordinates." Walter informed General Hammond over the phone in the Control Room. The general was in his usual place, at his desk, paperwork piled up from the backlog caused by the temporary blackout.

"Start dialling Lieutenant, I'll be out in a moment."

"Yes sir." The general hung up the phone and studied the stacks on his desk with contempt. He decided to ignore them, he wasn't in the mood to read monotonous reports all saying the same thing and then signing his name hundreds of times on each one. He left his desk and walked through to the Control Room, Walter turned at the sound of footsteps entering.

"Sir Chevron 6 about to be locked." He reported.

"Have we got SG 3 standing by ready to go through?" Hammond asked over the usual hum of the Stargate locking the co ordinates. Walter gestured towards the team standing in position ready to go through the Gate.

"Ready on your command General." Hammond nodded, satisfied that the team would be able to find Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter and bring them safely back home. Attention was soon diverted back to the dialling sequence.

"Chevron 7 locked." The striking blue wall formed but then extinguished just as quickly. General Hammond sighed in disappointment; he reached for the microphone.

"SG3, stand down." He ordered bitterly. The failed attempt to gate to the planet confirmed the General's suspicions. Something serious was happening to his people, and that their lives may be in severe danger.

Screams of pain rang down the halls of Bastet's great ship.

"Sholva!" a female voice yelled angrily before each holler of pain. Teal'c collapsed to the floor, trying to take back the breath that every stab of pain seemed to dissolve from him. Bastet loomed ominously over her prisoner, her hand clutching the device that sent electric shocks powering through the victim's body, making every inch scream in agony.

"You killed my daughter, the only daughter I ever had!" Bastet screamed through tears before thrusting the device back into Teal'c stomach savagely. At each heart-wrenching scream of pain, a smile of satisfaction came to Bastet's lips, every indication of the extreme pain Teal'c was suffering was revenge for the injustice she had suffered. As Teal'c collapsed to floor once more, tasting blood from his mouth, he felt Bastet's hand yank his head up and came face to face with her.

"Oh don't worry, it'll all be over soon," She cooed, "Then I'll go after your little Tauri friends…unless…" An idea came to Bastet, catching her off guard. She let go of her hold on Teal'c; he crumpled to the floor, not having enough strength to hold himself up. He took a deep breath and looked up from his position on the floor, spotting Bastet pacing around the cell where she held him captive. She was deep in thought.

"There may be a way for you to…avoid the unpleasant and untimely death of your friends." She began, a brilliant idea formulating in her head. Teal'c had an inclining of what Bastet was offering. She turned back to Teal'c and knelt down to him.

"All you have to do to save your friends is join me, we could be brilliant, powerful, unstoppable together." Bastet became excited by the thought of so much power, to be able to rule over thousands of people and hundreds of planets. Her eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect. Teal'c expression did not falter and he did not say a word; he looked at her with sheer disgust and disdain. The thought of allying himself with any of the Goa'uld made his blood boil. Bastet waited impatiently for a reply to her proposal but Teal'c remained silent. She slapped him hard across his face.

"Answer me! Ally with me and save your friends… or die and I kill your friends the slowest and most painful way I know how." Bastet threatened evilly, her eyes glowed angrily as she spoke. Teal'c stared straight into the eyes of the false god before him.

"I will never ally myself with the Goa'uld, I would rather die." He spat. Bastet's face twisted into a snarl.

"Your wish is my command." She replied wickedly, taking the electric device and with an unquenchable fury that flooded through her body, for the last time, she drove it into Teal'c's body, watching as the electric shocks shook him uncontrollably. Finally, after a moment or so, Teal'c's body stopped shaking; he fell onto his back. His eyes stared straight up at the ceiling, blood slowly dripping from his mouth to the concrete floor of the cell. Bastet stood and left the room in triumph, she spoke to the guards briefly who stood outside the entrance to the cell.

"Take his body and put it in one of the transport pods, send it to the Tauri with this." She ordered, pulling out a rolled parchment and handing it to the First Prime. Bastet than turned her back on Teal'c and walked out of the jail cell, not giving her malicious killing a second thought.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Daniel stepped through the Stargate on P03 RTF with SG5 close behind

Daniel stepped through the Stargate on P03 RTF with SG5 close behind. Seconds later he stepped out of the wormhole into the SGC. As he walked down the ramp, Daniel saw the door to the Embarkment Room slide open. General Hammond walking towards him looking extremely tired and stressed. Daniel took off his hat and wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Dr Jackson, it's good to see you again, SG5, debrief in 15 minutes." He called to the other officers that had come through the gate. They nodded at the General and immediately left the room to change their clothes before heading to the infirmary for their post-mission physical.

"Good to see you too sir, what's going on?" Daniel asked, concerned by the General's tired appearance.

"I'll explain it to you after you've had a chance to drop your gear." He insisted, following Daniel out of the Gateroom.

15 MINUTES LATER…

"Glad to see that it was worth the trip. You are on down time from now until Friday so enjoy it while you can, dismissed." The General rounded up the meeting. SG5 stood from their seats and left quickly, eager to make the most of their holiday time. Only General Hammond and Daniel were left in the room, the large oak desk separated the two men.

"So what happened while I was away? Where are Jack, Sam and Teal'c?" Daniel asked, confused since he hadn't seen the rest of his team since he had gotten home.

"That has been the major concern these past couple of days." Hammond began, Daniel's face change from confused to concerned in an instant.

"What concern? What happened?" He asked, Daniel's stomach churned as his instincts screamed at him that something was seriously wrong.

"We received a distress signal from an alien planet earlier this week. I sent Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter and Teal'c to the planet to see if we could assist them with their problem. Soon after they had gone through the Stargate, Teal'c returned to base and said that the locals of the planet had reacted badly to his presence. About 4 hours after Teal'c's early return, a Goa'uld device was sent from P0T 154. It emitted an EM pulse that shut down all the power to the base including the Stargate." He started to explain what had happened. Daniel's brow drew together worriedly.

"That's odd, I mean why would they send an explosive device through the gate if they wanted our help?" Daniel queried. The General look away apprehensively and the realisation hit Daniel hard. The General continued his account of the events.

"We took this as a clear sign that Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter were in immediate danger but we were unable to reach them by the Stargate. Teal'c volunteered to fly to Abydos in Anubis' ship in order to use their gate to travel to P0T 154. However, the ship was still severely damage from it's last mission. Teal'c still volunteered to go, forgoing all the risks. He left over a day ago now and we have not had contact with him since the ship flew from Earth's atmosphere." When he had finished Daniel looked up down at the table, trying to hide the tears that were forming in his eyes. Daniel composed himself and was able to speak again.

"Have we heard anything from Jack and Sam?" He asked impatiently. General Hammond shook his head, sadly.

"Earlier this morning the power was restored. We immediately attempted to dial P0T 154 but couldn't establish a wormhole. I can only speculate that the Aranians have somehow covered or buried that gate so that we would be unable to find them." Daniel rubbed his eyes exhaustedly, it was a lot to grasp that his fellow team members were in obvious danger and that he was only finding out all of this at this late stage.

"S-so what are we going to do?" Daniel asked at a loss.

"Nothing tonight. But in the morning I'll send you along with SG3 to the Tokra and see if they can help us with the situation." Hammond explained his plan of attack. Daniel nodded in agreement; it was a start at least. He stood up to leave,

"Well I'm going to get some sleep, what time do you want us to leave tomorrow?" Daniel asked.

"0630." The General replied sternly, also standing from his chair to leave.

"Good night General." Daniel left the room and slowly made his way to his quarters. So much had happened while he was away. He felt so helpless, so powerless to help his friends. He didn't even know what was happening to them at that very moment and it unsettled him so much that he doubted that he would get any sleep.

THE NEXT MORNING…

Daniel walked down into the crystal caves of the Tokra base with SG 3 close behind. He watched as people hurried along the caves and turned off into different directions off the main hallway they were walking down. Daniel lead the group into one of the many tunnels, a man in his late 50's walked towards them and when he reached Daniel, shook his hand warmly.

"Nice to see you again Dr Jackson, what brings you to our neck of the woods so to speak?" Jacob asked curiously.

"We need your help." Daniel began. A line of worry instantly formed on Jacob's forehead,

"What's the problem? Is Sam in danger?" He asked in a demanding, fatherly tone. Daniel nodded sullenly,

"We believe Sam and Jack are being imprisoned on a planet by a civilisation called the Aranians." Daniel started to explain. Jacob's line of worry instantly hardened at the mention of the name Aranians.

"Follow me. We should go somewhere and discuss this in private." Jacob suggested, leading the way down the hallway towards the centre of the complex. Daniel got the distinct feeling that Jacob had encountered the Aranians before, and the experience was not exactly pleasant.

A beam of sunlight crawled through the peephole-sized window to Jack and Sam's cell, stirring Jack from his restless sleep. His eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room, and as he went to stretch Jack felt something on his shoulder. He looked over to see Sam's head resting comfortably there, a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she slept with a peaceful expression. Jack heard his stomach growl angrily, he had not eaten for at least two days and his stomach was now becoming impatient with him.

"Shh you'll wake Sam up." He whispered to it.

"What'll wake me?" Sam asked sleepily, opening her eyes and yawning. She lifted her head from the Colonel's shoulder and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"My stomach grumbling." He answered frankly. Sam smiled sleepily,

"Mine too." She admitted, standing and pacing around her tiny cell to stretch her legs.

"Hymothesias will be back today to see if we have change our mind about his proposal." Sam reminded herself and Jack sullenly.

"Yes well he's going to get the same answer." Jack responded, not letting go of his previous decision in not giving into the Aranian leader's demands. Sam lowered her head but said nothing, she had tried fighting Jack before on this issue. But he always insisted that it was either they both stayed there or he went with Hymothesias. He still insistent that he wouldn't let them take her. Jack saw her reaction to his defiance and stood up and walked over to her.

"You know we already made a decision, we said that neither of us would go, you agreed to it remember?" Jack reminded her. Sam shook her head angrily.

"I know and at the time I thought that it would be the right course of action. But Jack, do you really want to be stuck here for the rest of our lives when they are offering us a chance to go back home?" She tried to rationalise with him.

"No, of course I don't want to be stuck here forever. But we both know that we won't let the other one go with the Aranians, stalemate Sam." He stated bluntly. Sam stopped pacing and stood still in thought.

"What I want to know is why no one has come to find out what happened to us? I mean we've been here for what, 8 or 9 days? So why hasn't General Hammond sent reinforcements?" She questioned him.

"I don't know maybe the Aranians buried the Stargate or somethin', I don't know. But until reinforcements do come, or we escape, somehow we are stuck here." He lamented tiredly, collapsing once again to the floor of his cell, fatigue had begun to take over his body. After days of little food, water and sleep, it was starting to take it's toll on them. They had tried to hold it at bay as long as possible with thoughts of being rescued but their rescuers never came. Sam, also too exhausted to stand any longer, sat down with her back to the cool concrete and sat in silence waiting for whatever was going to happen, to happen.

Jacob led Daniel and SG 3 into the main briefing room of the Tokra complex. Jacob motioned for Daniel and SG3 to sit down at the table.

"We encountered the Aranians several months ago. We were on an expedition there to discover they're potential as an alpha site for inhabitants of another planet that were under Goa'uld control. When we arrived, we were greeted warmly and taken into the city for a tour. They particularly wanted to show us their Procreation Complex. " Jacob began, his voice lowered in warning when speaking of the complex. Daniel eyebrows raised in warning, and he opened his mouth to ask a question, but Jacob continued his story.

"To make a long story short, they asked us to participate in their experiments in creating the perfect society. Trying to remove genetic flaws from their own people, and adding new genes from outside their society. Of course we refused. Fortunately there were seven of us on the mission, so when the Aranians tried to force us to contribute to their research we were able to overcome them and make a run for the Stargate." Jacob illustrated, before his tone turned serious.

"Now if what you say is true and Jack and Sam are with the Aranians, they are probably being held captive when they told the Aranians that they would not participate in their experiments." Jacob guessed.

"So…what can we do?" Daniel asked. Jacob sighed,

"We could try and gate there, taking yourselves and a team of my people with you to get them back." Jacob suggested. Daniel shook his head,

"We have already dialling P0T 154 but we couldn't establish a wormhole. We can only guess that they have buried the Stargate or have some other means of preventing anyone from gating to the planet." Daniel reported. Jacob lowered his eyes defeatedly.

"Well if that is the case then there is nothing we can do. We have no spacecraft available. The only possible solution may be to try and contact the Asgard and see if they can help us." Jacob was lost for definite answers. He was worried about his daughter; he had already witnessed first hand the Aranians deception and cruelty to anyone who did not agree to their every demand. He feared the conditions his daughter and Jack where being forced to endure. It could mean that they could be seriously ill and would need help fast. Daniel nodded. Jacob took the opportunity to begin issuing orders, falling easily back into his General role.

"Colonel Travis you can take your team back to base, tell General Hammond that Dr Jackson is going to remain and attempt to contact the Asgard." Colonel Travis agreed,

"Yes sir. SG3 move out. Good luck Doctor Jackson." Another Tokra, who had followed the group into the room, escorted SG3 back to the gate. Daniel and Jacob sat in silence for a moment before Jacob spoke.

"How long have they been with Aranians?" He asked cautiously.

"8 days or so. Teal'c tried to use the ship we stole from Anubis to fly to Abydos while the whole base was shut down by the Aranians, but we haven't heard from him." Daniel observed worriedly. Jacob sighed,

"Let's hope that the Asgard can help us. If they can't Jack and Sam may not make it out of there alive." Jacob revealed solemnly.

Sam and Jack slept for the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon, their bodies too exhausted to do anything else. In the late evening, the large steel door swung open once again, startling Sam and Jack from their fitful sleep. Hymothesias again stood in the light of the hall that flooded into the pitch black of the cellblock. Jack covered his eyes as he forced his body to its feet.. Sam was also finding it hard to stand without her legs giving way under her. Hymothesias, in an unexpected move, opened the doors to both Jack and Sam's cells, pushing them wide open as if to let them walk out.

"Here is your freedom. You can walk out right now. All you have to do is agree to my proposal and you will both go free. You can go back to your planet and never see this place again." Hymothesias explained, trying to show himself as a generous person. Jack leaned heavily against the bars.

"How many times do we have to say it, no." Jack stated tiredly, he was sick of playing this game.

"And Major Carter, what do you say?" Hymothesias asked, using his memory of what had happened the last time to hopefully manipulate her into questioning the Colonel's decision again. Sam looked over at Jack in uncertainty but he just shrugged in response. Jack had already tried several times to convince her to not take Hymothesias' offer but this time Sam had to make up her own mind for herself. Sam paused for a moment in contemplation but she had already made her decision the day before.

"The answer is no." Sam replied, confident she had made the right decision. Jack gave her a thumbs up and a weary smile to indicate his gratification for her decision. Hymothesias turned away from the prisoners angrily, he had had enough of their insolence. It was time to give them the ultimatum.

"You will participate in the experiments!" he yelled furiously, losing his temper.

"No, we will not." Jack responded through clenched teeth, his temper also lifting slightly. Hymothesias began to pace rapidly across the path in front of their cells but suddenly stopped still.

"You will participate in the experiments…or die by my hand!" He threatened, his eyes flashing with anger. Sam stepped back slightly at Hymothesias' sudden uncontrollable rage.

"This is your last chance, participate in the experiments or at midday tomorrow be executed!" He roared, his patience having reached it's end. He glared at Jack as if daring him to go against his demands but Jack was not fazed by his threat.

"The answer is still no." He replied firmly. Hymothesias stared at him as if to scare co-operation out of him but after a minute or so realised that he couldn't change Jack's mind.

"So be it," Hymothesias spat, "At 12 midday tomorrow Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill of the Tauri will die!" He declared, his voice echoing through the cellblock. Other prisoners banged their hands on the bars in excitement, a deafening roar filling the room as Jack and Sam's fate was sealed.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Procreation 4:

Jack sat in his tiny cell, not able to sleep after Hymothesias gave them the news that they would be executed the next day. He ordered Sam to get some sleep, after much persistence she finally nodded off within half an hour of Hymothesias leaving. It was now very early in the morning and Jack had been thinking hard over the many hours that had dragged by. He looked over at Sam longingly, just capturing a glance at her beauty made his decision even more difficult. He had made the decision; there was no going back. He reached through bars and touched her face softly, brushing away a stray hair that always seemed to fall over her eyes while she slept.

"This was the hardest decision I have ever had to make but I cannot risk your life. Goodbye Sam, I love you." He whispered tenderly, taking one last long look at the woman he loved. Jack then teared himself from her, marching over to the door of his cell and grabbed the attention of one of the guards on duty.

"Hey you, come here." He whispered, making sure not to wake Sam. The guard walked carefully over, still with his old style shotgun at the ready tried to escape.

"What do you want prisoner?" He spat.

"Send a message quickly to Hymothesias. Tell him the Colonel O'Neill had agreed to his proposal." Jack said quietly. The guard instantly whipped out the keys to the cell and unlock Jack's cell door. He took steel wire from his belt and tied it around Jack's hands, pushing him out of the cellblock roughly and down the hallway towards Hymothesias' quarters. Jack glanced back quickly; unable to fight the urge to see her just one more time before she left his life forever. Knowing full well Hymothesias would never let him leave Arania alive.

Daniel and Jacob jumped from the Stargate, before either of the men had a chance to adjust to their surroundings, a beam of white light surrounded them and transported the two men to the bridge of the Asgard ship. When the beam had disappeared Daniel spotted Thor sitting in his throne, his thin arm poised over the controls that brought both him and Jacob from the room the Stargate was stored in.

"Daniel Jackson." Thor acknowledged, recognising one of the two guests that stood before him. Daniel nodded his head respectfully.

"Thank you for having us. This is Jacob Carter, Major Carter's father, from the Tokra." Daniel did the honours of the brief introduction. Thor's attention then turned to the man beside Daniel as he studied him closely.

"Major Carter has proved to be a valuable asset to both the Tauri and the Asgard." Thor spoke, complimenting him slightly. Jacob bowed,

"I must also thank you. I have been told that you have saved my daughter's life on a number of occasions and for this I will be forever grateful." He replied. Thor nodded respectfully, then turned his attention back to Daniel.

"Where is O'Neill?" He asked. Usually a visit from the Tauri meant another meeting between the two leaders of the respective forces. They had become friends, and often enjoyed humorous conversations.

"Yeah that's what we are here about, we need your help." Daniel began, feeling a slight de ja vue since he had spoken those exact words to Jacob no more than two hours before.

"Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are being held captive on a planet called Arania…" But before Daniel could continue with the explanation Thor held up his think finger to stop him.

"We encountered the Aranians not too long ago Daniel Jackson. They are a race of people that invite other civilisations to their world in order to use their DNA for experimentation. Their ultimate goal has always been to create the perfect being in which their society would be based around. Recently, Asgard operatives have reported that the leader of the Aranians has now allied himself with the Goa'uld Bastet." Daniel's interest immediately peaked at the name.

"Bast, the Egyptian goddess of love and fertility. Most commonly associated with Hathor and Sekhemet, the goddess of war and strife." Daniel surmised.

"Yes, unfortunately the Goa'uld Sekhemet managed to convince Bastet the only thing worth seeking would be power over every living person in the universe, including the Goa'uld System Lords. Bastet is now seeking to destroy every living enemy of the Goa'uld before she destroys the System Lords, the Tauri included. She has already managed to kill many people; the alliance with the Aranians was to ensure her domination of the universe by seeking out all intelligent life forms and using them to create an army of warriors that would make her invincible." Thor described the problem at hand.

"So Bastet is planning to use Jack and Sam's genetic information to create an army for herself?" Daniel asked, for clarification.

"The actions of the Tauri, particularly of your team SG1 is well known throughout the galaxy. All Goa'uld are increasing demand for your capture, particularly of Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter as they seem to be the two that narrowly escape capture on so many occasions. Bastet most probably ordered the leader of the Aranians to contact Earth in a bid to lure Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter to the planet for their inevitable capture." Thor hypothesized. Jacob decided to step into the conversation.

"We are here to ask for your assistance is rescuing Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter from the Aranians. We haven't been able to contact the planet through the Stargate." Jacob requested. Thor sat in thought for a moment; Daniel and Jacob stood perfectly, each secretly praying that Thor would say yes.

"The Tauri have provided considerable assistance for the Asgard in recent times, particularly against the Replicators. It would be an honor to return the favour by returning Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter." Jacob and Daniel were overjoyed, needing a large amount of self-control to stop themselves running up and hugging the small, grayish alien.

"With your permission Thor, I would like to contact General Hammond if I may." Daniel asked courteously. Thor nodded, moving his hand over the control panel on the armrest of his chair and suddenly the large ship stopped mid flight, dropping out of one hyperspace window and initiating another one in the matter of seconds, the ship heading towards Earth.

The deafening roar of the other prisoner's hollering woke Sam from her sleep. Opening her eyes slowly, she stood and began to stretch.

"Good morning." She greeted exhaustedly, not bothering to look to the cell next to her. After a moment of silence, Sam turned in alarm and found herself looking into an empty cell.

"Jack! Jack!" she yelled frantically, fearing the worst. But all the reply she received was that of the other prisoners wailing. She ran over to the bars where the same guard that had taken Jack to Hymothesias stood.

"Where is Colonel O'Neill?" Sam demanded, banging her hands against the bars to emphasise the urgency of her question.

"The one called Colonel O'Neill agreed to Hymothesias' proposal. You are to be escorted from this facility and to return though the Stargate back to your own world when Hymothesias gives the signal which is expected momentarily." He informed her sternly.

"What? Oh no…" Sam whispered.

"Damn it!" She cursed herself for falling asleep and giving him the opportunity to slip away. Tears stung her eyes as she realized the sacrifice Jack had made for her. Dropping her head in despair, tears of anger stung her eyes. He had given his own life to let her return home and live normally again. Over the years she had tried so hard to convince herself that she did not love her Commanding Officer. But this whole experience with the Aranians brought to the surface feelings that she had suppressed ever since the incident with the Zaytarks. She loved Jack, not matter what her military training or the regulations said. She couldn't ignore her heart any longer. Her tears suddenly stopped, in that moment she made a conscious decision. She could have either stood their crying while the man she loved was being experimented on. Or she could make up for the years of silence that had clouded her heart and go after Jack. Her fierce determination to see him again invigorated her tired body.

"Guard, take me to Hymothesias, I have decided to cooperate."

A small black cargo pod continued to spiral at an alarming rate towards Earth, the lifeless body of one of the most respected and competent men of the SGC was being hurtled through space as a special delivery to the Tauri, as a grisly and ghastly warning.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

After a 20-minute discussion with General Hammond, SG 4 and SG 9 were beamed onto the Asgard ship as well as weaponry from the

After a 20-minute discussion with General Hammond, SG 4 and SG 9 were beamed onto the Asgard ship, as well as reinforcements from the SGC's armoury. It was only a matter of minutes, until the large Asgard vessel dropped from the hyperspace window. A tiny planet covered in large patches of green could be seen from outside its atmosphere. Daniel and Jacob stood on the bridge with Thor looking out of the window as the ship dropped out of hyperspace and descended through the planet's atmosphere, breaking the line of clouds that crossed the sky.

"It looks similar to Earth." Daniel commented off-handedly. Down below, the top of the sky blue buildings could be seen, standing out brightly from the city's dark green surrounding forest.

"The Procreation Complex is that dome sitting on the top of the middle tower." Jacob pointed out the building to Daniel.

"In all likelihood it would be where the Aranians will be holding Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter." Thor informed them both. The Asgard reached to the panel on his chair, his finger poised over the transporter button ready to scan and beam Jack and Sam aboard the great vessel.

"No!" Jacob yelled unexpectedly, stopping Thor. Daniel looked over at him with a look of concern and confusion.

"Ah Jacob, what's going on?"

Jack tugged at his uncomfortable clothing; Hymothesias had given him the some red "royal" robes the same as his own to wear to mark this "momentous event". He was sitting on the floor of a large, plushy furnished room that branched off from the main dining area where they had eaten one their first day on Arania. Hymothesias had given him the opportunity to have something to eat and his first bath in over a week. Now Jack smelt like a mixture of rosewater and lavender. A table sat in front of him with three goblets and a pitcher of a dark red liquid; Jack recognized it as red wine from the overwhelming aroma. The sound of the door opening brought him to his feet, Hymothesias entered first, Ania followinf close behind. A satisfied smile came to her face when she saw Jack standing waiting for her.

"I see you are refresh Colonel O'Neill." Hymothesias commented, smiling to himself thinking of the future prospects that Jack's co-operation would create.

"Yes, I don't think I've ever smelt so…naturey." He replied with the usual Jack O'Neill sarcasm. Ania walked behind Jack and stood on the other side of him, not taking her eyes off him for second.

"Please sit." Hymothesias gestured to the floor beneath them. Jack waited courteously until Ania was seated before forcing his aching muscles down into a sitting position. Hymothesias began the pleasantries, taking each of the goblets and filling it with the fruity wine. He handed the first one to Jack, who immediately passed it to Ania. She took it from his hands gratefully; trying to catch Jack's glance but his eyes remained focused on the table. His thoughts more occupied by images of Sam still being held captive in that tiny cell, the memory of that last time he saw her kept playing over and over in his head like a song stuck on repeat. Taking his own goblet from Hymothesias, twisting it nervously in his hand.

"This is truly a very special occasion. The bringing together of two civilizations. The unification of mind and body in order to create a better society for Arania, now and long into the future. To Colonel O'Neill." Hymothesias raised his glass in a toast. Ania raised her cup to the leaders,

"To Colonel O'Neill." She reiterated Hymothesias' toast whole-heartedly. Jack was about to join them when the door suddenly burst open as Sam stumbled into the room, the guard nowhere to be seen. Jack immediately jumped up and just managed catch her in his arms as the overwhelming fatigue became too much. Sam's legs abruptly collapsedout from under her. Jack knelt to the floor, keeping a tight hold around Sam's body; with his free hand he tilted her head back off her chest letting it rest on his arm. Brushing her hair off her face, he saw her complexion was ghostly white, her eyes were shut but they flickered under the bright light that shone from the ceiling of the room

"Sam! Sam! Come on open your eyes for me, please!" He begged urgently, tears coming to his eyes as he held her head in his hands, his thumb stroking her cheek softly. Moments later Sam opened her eyes slowly, the bright light above her hurting her eyes immensely. She could feel strong, protective arms around her; she looked up and saw Jack's face staring down at her in fear and concern.

"Jack," Sam croaked, her throat was dry from lack of water in past few days. Jack's face brightened when he heard her voice.

"Sam, what are you doing here huh?" he asked, his voice soft and caring, trying to keep Sam calm. Although he wouldn't admit it, also to keep himself calm. Sam swallowed slowly, her throat hurting every time she spoke, feeling her body begin to give way on her.

"I couldn't let you go through with it without first telling you…I love you." She whispered, before falling unconscious in his arms, her hand falling to the floor lifelessly. Jack's heart stopped mid beat.

"No, no Sam, come on stay with me, Sam!"

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

General Hammond sat in his office reading over mission reports from SG 13 and 15 from their recent missions

General Hammond sat in his office reading over mission reports from SG 13 and 15's most recent missions. Over the many years of reading reports, he had to admit that some had become tedious, predictable and boring. Except for SG1. There was always seemed to be something out of the ordinary that happened to them off world, no matter where they went. Even on a planet with no people to meet and greet, they always managed to bring back some potentially life threatening disease or an alien device that had the potential to destroy the planet. Thinking about SG1 brought back the strong feelings of worry and concern for his people. He had not seen Colonel O'Neill or Major Carter for nearly two weeks, and Teal'c for nearly just as long. The last time he had seen Dr Jackson, him and Jacob were attempting to mount a rescue with the help of Asgard, but had not heard any word from them since. A phone ringing interrupted the General's thoughts. Putting down the file he was reading over, the General looked over and saw that it was the Presidential Phone that was ringing. He took a deep breath; this could be the news he was dreading for the past couple of days. The Joint Chief's decision whether or not to relieve him of his command. Picking up the receiver he held it to his ear.

"General Hammond." He answered professionally; hoping in some way that his conduct now would make some kind of difference to the Joint Chief's decision.

"General, I have been reviewing your behaviour over the past couple of days with the Joint Chief's as you know. The Joint Chief's and I have unanimously voted to relieve you of your command as of the end of the week. Colonel O'Neill will act as your temporary replacement until a suitable candidate is located to take up the position permanently." President Lynch broke the news of his dismissal. General Hammond sighed deepely. He had feared this, and prayed that it would never come about. But it had. And there was nothing he could do about it. He decided not to update the President as to the present whereabouts of his 2IC. It would only mean an outsider would be sent in, plunging the whole operations of the SGC into complete chaos.

"I understand Mr President." Was all he said in reply.

"I'm sorry to do this to you George, you know I have always support you 100 about the Stargate Program and how it should be run. But the Joint Chief's had decided, and I have to say, I agree. Your actions were just too far outside the regulations." He explained sombrely, indicating that he didn't take any delight in this decision.

"No need for apologises Mr President." General Hammond lied.

"I will speak to you later General." President Lynch replied, ending the conversation abruptly. He put down the phone slowly, letting the news sink in, and leaving him with one question. How was he going to keep Colonel O'Neill's capture a secret until he was to return and take command?

Jacob hadn't answered Daniel's question, his eyes had glazed over in thought. Daniel turned around and clicked his fingers in front of Jacob's eyes pulling him from wherever he was.

"Jacob, what's going on?" he asked again, slower than previously. Instead of addressing Daniel's question, Jacob turned to Thor.

"Do you know exactly where Sam and Jack are in the Complex?" he asked with urgency. Thor pressed a button the control panel and seconds later the computer beeped.

"They are in a small room off from the main dining area." Thor replied. Jacob eyes lit up as a plan began to formulate, just the same way as Sam eyes lit up whenever she had just figured out how to use a piece of technology she had collected. Jacob than turned back to Daniel, knowing he deserved an answer.

"I don't want to just beam Sam and Jack up and fly away. I want to face the man who has been keeping my daughter prisoner for over a week." Jacob explained in a very serious fatherly tone. Daniel couldn't blame him, if it was his daughter he knew he would want the exact same thing. To face the man that had caused his child so much pain.

"Thor, can you beam us into that room?" Jack asked, his focus again switching between Daniel and Thor. The grey alien nodded,

"Of course Jacob Carter." He replied, engaging the transport beam that engulfed Jacob, Daniel as well as the seven members of SG 3 and 9 and sent them down into the middle of a highly charged situation.

"Sam! Sam! Come on!" Tears were now streaming down Jack's face, it had been nearly 5 minutes and Sam was still laying motionless. She had not responded to any of his attempts to wake her. Jack checked her pulse for what seemed like the hundredth time. It was only very faint. At times he felt like her pulse has stopped altogether, making his heart break each time he thought he had lost her forever. Hymothesias and Ania stood perfectly silent watching the scene unfold as if they were frozen in their positions. Suddenly blinding white light filled the room and Jack looked up from Sam momentarily, praying silently to himself that it was the help they had been waiting for. When the light disappeared Jacob, Daniel and the other SGC men stood in the room, each with weapons pointed directly at Hymothesias and Ania.

"Jacob, she's unconscious, we have to get her out of here." Jack managed to croak through his tears. Jacob and Daniel both turned in alarm to where Jack was kneeling on the floor. Seeing a very pale Sam lying in his arms, not moving at all, Daniel reached hurriedly for his communicator.

"Thor, beam up Jack and Sam now, they need medical attention." He reported hastily. Soon Jack and Sam were swept from the room and it left Hymothesias and Ania to face the wrath of an angry father.

Jack, with Sam in his arms, dropped suddenly before Thor who was sitting in his usual chair. He smiled up at the greyish alien, gratefully.

"Thor, buddy, thanks for coming." He whispered, the energy he had had no more than 15 minutes ago was now drained through his tears for Sam.

"O'Neill, I glad to see you and Major Carter are satisfactory." He greeted. Jack looked down at his 2IC lying motionless in his arms.

"I've got to get her back to Earth, she's in pretty bad shape." Jack said disheartened. Thor nodded,

"There is an SGC officer in the Gate Room that can take you back to your planet." Thor informed him. Jack smiled wearily.

"Thanks buddy, whenever you need a hand just drop us a line, just give us some warning yeah?" Jack joked before Thor sent both of them to the Gate Room where one of the members of SG 4 was standing, Major Frijol. When he saw the Colonel he stood upright and saluted.

"Colonel O'Neill, glad to see you are okay sir." Jack pulled himself from the ground, carrying Sam in his arms.

"Dial us home, Frijol." He ordered.

Moments later, Jack stepped onto the ramp in the SGC, looking down he spotted a very stressed looking General Hammond their to greet him.

"Get a medical team in here immediately!" The General ordered as Jack carried Sam down the ramp slowly, his body about to give way on him. Dr Fraiser and a number of nurses ran into the Gate Room pushing a stretcher. Two of the male nurses took Sam from Jack's tired arms and placed her on the stretcher.

"Get her to the infirmary immediately! Start her on a saline drip and fluids!" Fraiser yelled as the nurses wheeled Sam away. It was the last Jack saw of the woman he loved before his own body finally gave out on him, collapsing onto the base of ramp, unconscious.

The Aranian leader instantly recognised the older gentleman of the two that now stood before him.

"Jacob Carter of the Tokra. How nice of you to visit us again." Hymothesias stepped forward and extended his hand in friendship. He hoped that his attempt at co-operation would prevent himself being hurt by the number of armed men that stood behind Jacob and Daniel. Jacob stood perfectly still with an expression of loathing, not meeting Hymothesias' hand.

"I am not here for a friendly visit Hymothesias. I am here to return my daughter and Colonel O'Neill to Earth where they belong. And to warn you." Jacob took a step towards Hymothesias, and standing nose to nose with the Aranian leader.

"If you ever dare come near my daughter or attempt to communicate with her ever again, I will see to it that you suffer the most unpleasant death I can imagine. After experiencing several thousand years of Goa'uld torture, I have plenty of options to choose form." Jacob threatened, making himself perfectly clear. Hymothesias stumbled backwards at Jacob's angry warning, feeling his face go white in fear.

"W-well I can promise you that, that will never happen again." Hymothesias tried to consolidate something, but stuttered over nearly every word in his brief reply. Jacob sighed,

"In the meantime I will be sending an anonymous message to Bastet to tell her of your failure to follow through on her orders. I'm sure she will be very interested in what I will have to say." Jacob smiled triumphantly. Ania, who had remained silent throughout the exercise suddenly gripped Hymothesias' arm in panic at the mention of Bastet.

"She will surely punish us greatly for such disobedience. Please do not do that, please I beg of you!" She beseeched, her outburst directed at Daniel since he had remained silent throughout Jacob's speech. She had seen a softness in Daniel's face that clearly wasn't shared by his Tokra counterpart. Daniel looked back at the pleading woman and then beside him to Jacob, who simply shook his head, indicating that her plea would not change his mind.

"Thor, we are ready to go home." Jacob reported. The bright light of the Asgard beam soon consumed the expressions of pure terror and fright on Hymothesias and Ania's faces. As Thor piloted the ship out of the planet's atmosphere, Daniel looked down at the planet and sighed. Once Bastet became aware that Hymothesias had let two of the most hunted enemies of the Goa'uld escape they would surely be tortured to death. Although they may have done some horrible things to others, including two of his closest and dearest friends, Daniel could not help but feel pity for them.

MEANWHILE…

"Sir! I have something on radar; it appears to be a small craft, it's just entered Earth's atmosphere and is falling." A captain reported to the General standing behind him. The General turned away from the person he was in conversation with and walked over to where the captain was sitting.

"Have we got a picture of this craft?" he asked, biting his lip in concern.

"Yes, this was taken by the satellite orbiting around the Moon." The captain responded. Seconds later a photo appeared on the computer screen, a small, triangle shaped, chrome craft had been captured flying past the moon on a direct course to Earth. The General narrowed his eyes.

"Any idea where it will land if it continues?" he requested. The Captain typed furiously over the keyboard as mathematical calculations ran down the screen.

"According to my calculations sir, it will land somewhere in Colorado." He reported. The General drew in a sharp breath; turning with no reply to the Captain, he walked briskly to his office. Slamming the door behind him, he raced over to his desk and grabbed the phone, punching in a number that was starting to become an all too familiar.

"George, it's me Mike. We've just found something that I think you need to see."

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

"Yes Mike. I'll make sure a team is deployed as soon as possible. Thank you for alerting me. Goodbye." General Hammond replaced the phone on the hook and leant back heavily in his chair. A box sat on the desk in front of him; his name plaque as well as other personal items were carefully placed inside ready for the move. The machine in the corner of the office beeped loudly indicating he was receiving a fax. The General got up out of his chair and walked over to the machine, taking the two pieces of paper out of the tray. Returning to his desk he began to read the cover letter.

TO: GENERAL GEORGE HAMMOND

FROM: GENERAL MICHAEL FITZGERALD

RE: UNIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT

Enclosed with this cover letter is a photo of the unidentified ship just as it passed the moon on it's way towards Earth. According to the calculations made by my administration it should crash approximately five miles west of Canon City at approximately 1750 this evening.

We will be tracking the craft's movements and keep you informed of the progress up until it impacts the Earth.

I don't have to explain the need for immediate action to maintain the confidential nature of the SGC and all operations.

Regards,

General M Fitzgerald.

Hammond flicked the cover letter over and examined the photo, he recognised it as a Goa'uld Alkesh. He sighed at the picture; this was quite possibly the worst thing that could have happened in his present situation. He was no longer in control of the SGC, which meant that he could not order a team to secure the crash site. He could only hope that Colonel O'Neill would wake up soon and take control as temporary commander of the SGC. A knock at his door interrupted his solemn thoughts; opening a drawer in his desk he slipped the classified information inside, closing it firmly before asking the person at the door to enter. Dr Fraiser slipped into the room and closed the door behind her. She had an expression of both concern and exhaustion, her hair had begun to fall from its usually tight bun, indicating she had been swamped in the infirmary.

"General, both Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are both stable for the moment but are still in a coma. Sam seems to have more serious injuries than Colonel O'Neill. Her blood sugar levels are alarmingly low compared to the Colonel's, amongst other things. We have her on an IV to replace the fluids into her body but it doesn't seem to be helping." Janet reported sadly, wishing she had better news to report about her best friends' condition.

"Thank you for the update Docter." General Hammond replied sullenly, it seemed his sombre mood was spreading.

"With your permission I would like to return to the infirmary." Janet requested. She wanted to make sure that she was there when Jack and/or Sam woke up.

"Go ahead." Janet opened the door to leave just as an SF approached General Hammond's office looking slightly bewildered. He nodded to the doctor.

"Dr Fraiser, General Hammond. Dr Jackson and General Carter have just…appeared in the briefing room." He reported anxiously. Janet and the General looked at each other at the same time, a look of apprehension bounced between them both. It was going to be hard to break the news to the both of them, especially Jacob considering the serious condition his daughter was in.

"Thank you Airman." Hammond and Janet followed the SF quickly out of the office, down the hallway and into the briefing room where it looked like the people in the room had been frozen in time. The commander of SG9, Major Spina still had his pointer directed at the image of the comprehensive schematics of an advanced Goa'uld Death Glider. His mouth hanging open as he stared off into space. The other members of his team were staring dumbfounded at Daniel and Jacob, their pens still poised to write down notes on the relevant material in the conference.

"Major Spina, why don't you and your men take a 10 minutes recess until I can debrief with Dr Jackson and General Carter." Hammond suggested. The Major shook off the sudden shock of two people appearing in the room out of nowhere and placed his pointer back into its place next to the projector.

"Ford, Truant, Kyle resume in 10 minutes, dismissed." He ordered, the team leaving the room in a flurry of whispers. General Hammond indicated to the two seats in front of Daniel and Jacob,

"Welcome back Dr Jackson, Jacob, have a seat." He offered, hoping to keep the situation as calm as possible under the already tense circumstances.

"How is Sam?" Jacob demanded, ignoring the General's offer of a seat. Hammond sighed; Jacob was never one for tiptoeing around the reality of a situation, Jacob Get-Straight-To-The-Point Carter he had always joked.

"Both Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter returned home safely, Doctor." He informed the both of them, before handing over the reins to Janet.

"They are both stable for the moment but are still unconscious. Sam seems to be in a worse condition than Colonel O'Neill, we have been giving her fluids through an IV but it doesn't seem to be making any significant difference." She reported. Daniel looked over at Janet with a confused expression.

"How could Sam be worse than Jack? They both were imprisoned for the same number of days." Daniel asked.

"I have no idea… although when Colonel O'Neill came through the Stargate he was dressed in different clothes. That might be significant." Janet guessed from her limited knowledge of what had happened on the planet. Daniel raised his eyebrows in curiosity, he hadn't noticed the difference in what Jack was wearing back on the planet, they were all more concerned about Sam's condition. Jacob crossed his arms over his chest; a myriad of emotions seemed to plague him, anger, regret and fear being the main ones.

"Can I go down and see her?" Jacob requested in a small voice.

"First, there is something that you all need to know but it cannot leave this room is that understood?" General Hammond's tone had all of a sudden become very serious. The other three people in the room exchange glances of apprehension, each taking a seat at the briefing table. General Hammond walked over, glance out into the hall before closing the door securely to prevent their conversation being overheard. Taking his usual seat at the head of the table, he ran his hand over his completely baldhead and took a deep breath before beginning.

"Earlier today the President, in conjunction with the Joint Chiefs, relieved me of my command of this facility." He broke the unhappy news.

"Ah…why?" Daniel inquired; he was completely stunned. A sentiment shared by the other people at the table.

"They found that my letting Teal'c steal US Government property and the only ship on Earth capable of reaching hyperspace in order to hopefully save Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter was not only conduct unbecoming but unacceptable of a commander of a top secret facility like the SGC." He explained gravely. He couldn't blame the President for doing what he did. The General knew what he was doing could lead to his ultimate exclusion from the SGC, but he felt he was doing what was in the best interests of his people. And he knew that if he was given the opportunity again, he would've have changed anything. Besides Teal'c had voluntarily stolen the ship and to undertake such a dangerous assignment.

"Then who's in charge of the SGC?" Janet asked tentatively.

"Colonel O'Neill." He replied as if it was a simple, full proof solution to the problem. Daniel shook his head,

"Okay, you do realise Jack is in a coma?" Daniel deliberately pointed out, hoping he was not the only one seeing a problem with this arrangement. General Hammond nodded his head.

"Yes I am aware of that Doctor Jackson, however the President is not. I have not informed him of Colonel O'Neill's condition in the hope that it would hold him off sending in a new replacement for as long as possible." Jacob had remained silent through the whole conversation, his mind slowly ticking over as it absorbed all the information that was being thrown at it. After a minute or so he broke his silence.

"Where is Teal'c now?" He asked, noticing they hadn't mentioned where their Jaffa friend was currently.

"We still have not received any communication for him. There is a good chance that he may not have survived." The reality that Teal'c might no longer be alive suddenly hit home. An eerie silence fell over the room as they all contemplated the possibility of never seeing their stoic Jaffa friend again. General Hammond, having already dealt with the shock hours before he was the first to gather his thoughts.

"We also have another situation. A Goa'uld Alkesh just passed by our moon only a few hours ago on its way to Earth. General Fitzgerald at NASA just sent me the details on where and when this ship is going to crash, approximately 5 miles west of Canon City at 1750." General Hammond relayed, he kept the surprising news coming. The looks of surprise did not move from Jacob, Daniel or Janet's face, it was if their expressions were chiselled into stone.

"We need to send out teams to secure the area, evacuate residents." Jacob immediately outlined the action that needed to be taken; again demonstrating that he hadn't completely forgot how to be a very proficient Commanding Officer.

"I agree Jacob, but I am no longer in charge of the SGC. I cannot order any of the teams to deploy to the crash site. The only person that can officially carry out the order is Colonel O'Neill. In which case I am hoping he regains consciousness soon." Daniel looked at his watch, calculating the amount of time they had until the ship was due to crash.

"That gives us a little over three hours." Daniel stated bluntly. General Hammond rose from his chair.

"Let's get down to the infirmary." He suggested, leading the way out the briefing room door, Janet, Daniel and Jacob following close behind him.

Daniel and Jacob had been sitting in the infirmary for nearly an hour, not a word had been spoken between them. Jack and Sam were lying in beds side by side. Jack had a pad over his right eye and his elbow in a sling while Sam didn't seem to have any other noticeable injuries. Janet had been in and out every 10 minutes checking on Sam and Jack, before one of her other patients would call her away. SG 5 had just come back through the Stargate after an intense firefight with the Goa'uld; each of them sustained at least a staff blast wound and bruises from hand to hand combat with the enemy. General Hammond had left the infirmary and returned to his former office to finish the last paperwork that sat on his desk for the day. They could all see how upset he was at being forced to stand down from the job he enjoyed so much. It meant that Jack was in charge, at least for the meantime. That was a scary enough thought in itself. But then after enough time passed another unfamiliar outsider would come in to take command, and inevitably begin to change the SGC. It meant that everything would change. SG1 would probably not get as much leniency when it came to breaking or bending orders as they had done before. Somehow, an unexplainable unpleasant feeling deep in the pit of his stomach gave Daniel the idea that it couldn't be a change for the better.

Jacob sat by Sam's bed, holding her hand in his, simply staring at her face in the hope of seeing even a small sign that she was going to be okay. He had not seen his daughter in so long and he felt incredibly guilty for not taking time to see her more often. In the last few months he had been occupied with missions to infiltrate the Goa'uld Bastet's ships. Many Tokra operatives had died, on one occasion Jacob had only just managed to get away from the Goa'uld's fiery wrath himself. The sudden loud beeping of one of the heart monitors broke the ghostly silence of the infirmary. Daniel jerked his head up from where he had been staring at a spot of the floor. Looking over at Jack's bed he saw the line on the monitor begin to climb higher.

"Janet!" Daniel called out as he rushed over to the bed. Jacob, seeing the improvement glanced hopefully up at his daughter's monitor for the same result, but her heart rate remained unchanged. Regretfully, he dropped her hand softly onto the bed and walked over to Jack's bed, the two men standing either side of the patient. Janet came running into the room, throwing a quick glimpse at the monitor, she rushed past Daniel and pulled out the penlight from her coat.

"Colonel, Colonel can you hear me?" Janet leaned over and drew back Jack's right eyelid, shining the light into his pupil.

Jack closed his eyes tightly and turned his head away slightly to avoid having the light continue to shine into his eye. Jack opened his eyes fully, and Janet pulled her light away only to make room for the bright fluorescent lights overhead. A groan escaped from his mouth as Jack pulled his hand up to his head, gently probing the a large bruise that had begun to form. Jack felt the bandage underneath his hand where Janet had place four stitches in a large gash that he had sustained from hitting the edge of the ramp in the Gate Room. The rest of his brain soon began to wake up too as the memory of what happened before he collapsed suddenly blocked out all other thoughts.

"Sam." He croaked, attempting to sit up in bed.

"You need to relax Colonel." Janet insisted, intentially dodging his query about Sam as she guided him back down onto the bed. They knew if he was told how bad Sam's condition was it would only slow his recovery. The doctor looked up at Daniel, giving him a look of "keep his mind on anything but Sam" before she stepped over to the side of the room and picked up the phone to inform General Hammond that the Colonel was awake. Daniel shrugged his shoulders at Jacob, who had also seen the look Janet had given him. Thinking quickly Jacob nodded over to the other side of the room, knowing full well that if Jack saw him he would only remind him of Sam. Daniel nodded in agreement and Jacob crept back over to the other side of Sam's bed and took his seat once more. Sitting quietly, he strained to listen to Jack and Daniel talking.

"Hey Jack, how ya feelin'?" Daniel asked, trying to reassure his friend. Jack turned to his left and spotted Daniel beside him.

"Hey Danny, thanks for the rescue by the way." Jack responded, shifting uncomfortably in the hard bed. Daniel anxiously searched for something to say that didn't have anything to do with Sam.

"General Hammond will be here soon he needs to talk to you about… some… things." Daniel didn't know what to say. Jack gave him a look of suspicion; something was going on and Daniel was only stalling until backup arrived. Looking around the section of the room he could see there was one noticeable absentee.

"Hey where's Teal'c?" He inquired; he was use to having his Jaffa buddy around when he woke up from being on the brink of death. At that moment the General entered the room, nodding briefly towards Jacob he quickly turned his attention to his very awake 2IC.

"Colonel, glad to see you're alright, we have a few things to discuss son." His tone returning to the very serious tone that he had used before. Jack narrowed his eyes at the General; he had rarely ever heard him use such a serious tone, he knew that something was seriously wrong.

"Okay, first I want to know if S- I mean, Carter is alright and where's Teal'c?" Jack demanded answers from his Commanding Officer, his tone revealing he was in no mood for games. General Hammond sighed; Jack wasn't going to take the news very well, but he had no choice.

"After Teal'c returned through the Stargate from P0T 154 a Goa'uld Saboteur Device followed, again originating from the planet where you were on your mission. This device disabled all the electric circuitry in this base, including to the Stargate. Teal'c left Earth a little over a week ago in Anubis' ship, still damaged from the last time it was used. He was heading towards Abydosto use their Stargate to gate to P0T 154 and find out what had happened to you and Major Carter. He hasn't be seen or heard from since." General Hammond began the long explanation process. Jack's eyes fell to the floor, his brain immediately jumping the first wild thought, Teal'c was gone.

"And Sa- Carter?" Jack tripped over her name for the second time in two minutes. Daniel eyes looked at him suspiciously, he had obviously heard his slip up in calling her "Sam" instead of just the normal "Carter". He knew he was going to get grilled later on about it.

"See for yourself Colonel." General Hammond gestured to the right of him. Slowly turning over Jack saw Sam lying motionless in the bed only a few feet away from him; Jacob was sitting on the opposite side of the bed.

"Hey Jack." Jacob greeted his old friend. Jack nodded towards the man,

"Jacob." Acknowledging his presence but his eyes were still fixed on Sam. Her face was very pale, the stark white sheets showing up the paleness more than usual. An IV had been inserted into the back of her hand, Jack watched as liquid slowly drained from the bag above her bed and directly into her bloodstream.

"Is she gonna make it?" Jack asked, whispering as if he wanted to keep the answer away from himself. Seeing her unconscious made Jack so guilty about not getting her off that planet sooner.

"The doctor says she's stable for the moment. Colonel, some serious decisions need to be made. As of earlier this morning, I am no longer in command of this facility. As a temporary situation until a replacement can be found, you are acting commander of the SGC." Jack sat up swiftly, ignoring the shooting pain his head.

"Excuse me?" He didn't quite understand what the General was saying.

"Colonel, an alien craft is about to crash to Earth just outside Canon City in two hours time. As acting commander you need to make the decision about deployment of teams to secure the area." General Hammond detailed. Jack stared back at him with a blank expression on his face, after he didn't receive a "KIDDING!" or "HAPPY EARLY APRIL FOOLS!" from any of the people surrounding his bed he immediately slipped into "commanding officer" mode.

"Send two teams to secure the outer perimeter and evacuate the area of all non military personnel. SG 2 and 3 will be charge of recovering the ship, set up a tent barrier around the ship and secure any unauthorised aliens that may be inside and transport them here. " Jack ordered, making it look and sound like he was perfectly fine and not only just waking up from a coma. General Hammond grinned, his head had told him that Jack could handle being the CO for a while. and he had just proved him right.

"SG 4 and 5 are rested and ready." Hammond informed him. Jack nodded, pleased with the teams that would handle the situation.

"Has the president been told?" Jack enquired, not being able to stop once he had been given the job of taking command. It was, after all, what he was trained to do.

"No Colonel. As soon as Dr Fraiser examines you and releases you from the infirmary, you can take up office and call him yourself." General Hammond replied as a subtle congratulations to the Colonel.

"As for me, I'm going home and spend time with my grandchildren." Jack raised his hand to his forehead, resting just on his bandage as he saluted the man he considered like a father to him.

"Goodbye General." The General returned the salute wholeheartedly.

"Good luck Colonel."

HALF AN HOUR LATER…

With much convincing on his part, Jack had finally convinced the doc to release him on the condition that if at any stage he felt even the slightest of headaches he would return to the infirmary immediately. He had just gotten off the phone the President; they had made arrangements for a press conference to explain the crashing of a ship near Colorado Springs. They had decided to tell the rest of the world that it was a test flight for a newly designed plane that would be capable of surveying areas in war zones before deploying the necessary ground forces. Twenty minutes into the flight the ship lost control and crashed just outside Canon City. It was good cover up on their part Jack had to admit. He was now looking over the final preparations for the recovery mission, but his mind kept wandering back to one person. Flashes of the past week-and-a-half invaded his thoughts. When it reached the moment in time where Sam had entered the room, where Jack had been sitting across from Hymothesias and Ania. It was like someone had pushed the "slow motion" button to watch his memories like a video, drawing out the scenes of high drama for their own enjoyment. He saw her slowly falling to the floor, as her body could no longer take the strain of being without food and water for so long. Seconds later her eyes flittered open as he held her in his arms, her tender words seemed to echo all around him before they stopped suddenly as he saw her head falling backwards limply as Sam slipped into unconsciousness. Then all he could hear was his own voice, crying out to her in the hope of bringing her back. A bright flash soon enclosed the scene and replaced by Dr Fraiser yelling orders to the other nurses, as Sam lay motionless on the stretcher in the Gate Room. The doctor's lips were moving painstakingly slow but there was no sound. The blue glow of the active Stargate behind him illuminated Sam's lifeless face as they pushed her towards the door of the Gate Room. Without warning the scene dissolved into black as voices continued to echo, the phrases being blended together to create a painful reminder.

"_Carter! They want to experiment on us!" _

"…_the laboratories are where the great miracles happen, there are merely tools for the end result…"_

"_This is where our scientists work towards eliminating all defects within our society's genetics, we are trying to wipe out all diseases and unnatural anomalies…"_

"_That's the reason you did not want Teal'c to come with us, it wasn't because you were afraid of him. It wasn't because he was Jaffa. He would be undesirable for your purposes wouldn't he?!"_

"_Just let me go, I'll be ok." _

"_No! I can't let you do that!" _

"_No matter what happens we are sticking together on this, neither one of us is leaving the other, got it?" _

"_Sam no! We are not, I repeat not doing this!" _

"_I'd miss you Jack." _

"_At 12 midday tomorrow Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill of the Tauri will die!"_

"_This was the hardest decision I have ever had to make but I cannot risk your life. Goodbye Sam, I love you."_

"_Sam! Sam! Come on open your eyes for me, please!"_

"_I couldn't let you go through with it without first telling you…I love you."_

"_Get her to the infirmary immediately, start her on a saline drip and fluids!"_

The voices became louder and louder, so deafening Jack felt the needed to physically cover his ears in a bid to block out the horrible sounds of the past. As if the volume button was being held down the voices suddenly decreased into silence, in their place he heard a small male voice.

"Sir, sir!" Major Taels raised his voice to get the Colonel's attention. Jack snapped out of his flashback. Dropping his hands to the armrests of the chair in embarrassment, he shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. Looking over his desk at the Major, his face looking particularly concerned.

"Are you alright sir?" He asked, having seen his CO with his hands over his ears when the room was perfectly quiet when he had entered. Jack cleared his throat.

"I'm fine Major, what can I do for you?" He acted, nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.

"Sir, Major Kali wishes to know whether or not you are finished with the final plans for the recovery mission. It is due to start in just over an hour." He reported. Major Kali was the Commanding Officer of SG 5. Jack looked down at the papers in his hand, quickly scanning the contents before making a decision.

"These all seem to be in order. Tell Major Kali to assemble the rest of SG 5 and meet with SG 4, 2 and 3 at the surface ready. I'll be there shortly to brief you all before you leave." Jack instructed him; trying to cover up any unusual behaviour the Major may have seen.

"Yes sir." Taels saluted before he left the office to carry out his orders. Jack leant back in his chair, let out a small sigh of relief.

"Get a hold of yourself O'Neill." He mumbled under his breath, scalding himself for losing it in front of another airman. Rubbing his face with his hands and stretched; Jack's muscles had begun to seize up from sitting too long in such a comfortable chair. He was so use to the hard, plastic chair in his old office. A minute or so later, he relaxed back into the chair again, as the voices began to echo around in his mind once again.

"_Just let me go, I'll be ok." _

"_No! I can't let you do that!"_

"_I'd miss you Jack."_

"_This was the hardest decision I have ever had to make but I cannot risk your life. Goodbye Sam, I love you."_

"_Sam! Sam! Come on open your eyes for me, please!"_

"I couldn't let you go through with it without first telling you…I love you."

Jack swiftly threw the chair back and started to pace back and forth across the room, his thumb and index finger of his left hand applying slight pressure to each temple. Soon the voices died down, Jack stopped pacing the floor and sighed to himself. He didn't belong here. Sitting in the General's cushy office when Sam was still in the infirmary fighting for her life. Because of him. Because he hadn't taken action when he should have and gotten her the hell out of there sooner. Jacob was sitting with her at the moment, that being Jack's one big obstacle. How to get around the Tokra without the inevitable barrage of questions. Jack exited his office and walked the few steps to the office down the hall where Lieutenant Harris, his personal assistant was filling out paperwork. He had only just been assigned to the SGC and was having a hard time with all the crazy day-to-day stuff of being part of the Stargate Program. Jack knocked briefly on the officer's door before walking straight up to the small desk that sat in the very centre of the room. Harris looked up to see who had entered, when he saw Colonel O'Neill Harris immediately jumped from his seat and saluted, sending pens and other stationary items flying in all directions.

"Relax Harris, I need you to do something for me." Jack began, knowing what he was asking was highly unusual. But since he was in charge of the SGC, he could do whatever he wanted. Within reason of course. Playing golf through the Stargate did pop into his head for a brief moment before he dismissed it quickly.

"Yes sir, what do you need sir?" the Lieutenant enquired, remaining at attention even though the Colonel had told him he could relax.

"I need you to set up a temporary office for me in the infirmary next to Major Carter's bed. Including phone lines and everything. And make sure all reports and other business is redirected from my office down to the infirmary." Jack requested, waiting for Harris' reaction. The lieutenant's eyes stared straight at Jack, a look of surprise and confusion on his face.

"Ah is this a test sir?" The Lieutenant questioned, believing something like this was not part of the SGC Manual to which he had read and memorised. Jack shook his head.

"No, Harris this is not a test." He replied irritatedly.

"Do you understand the order Lieutenant?" Jack asked firmly. Harris swallowed audibly and held his head a fraction higher.

"Yes sir." He replied confidently. Jack nodded, satisfied.

"Good. Have it done in 20 minutes Lieutenant." Jack ordered, before turning and leaving the room. He headed straight for the elevator on his way to the surface to brief the recovery teams before they set off towards Canon City. Stepping off the first elevator, Jack rounded the corner towards the second when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Hey Jack, wait up!" The familiar voice of Daniel Jackson rang down the hallway. Jack stopped mid stride.

"Oh for cryin' out loud." He muttered to himself before turning around to greet his friend with a forced smile.

"Hey Daniel what's up? I'm just on my way to the surface so make it quick." Daniel slowed from his jogging, pushing his glasses onto the bridge of his nose he took a few deep breaths before being able to speak properly.

"There was something I was curious about. Why did you call Sam, well "Sam". Not "Major" or "Carter"?" Daniel enquired. Jack knew the question would come up eventually and he had already formulated a perfectly innocent reply.

"I was just coming out of a coma Daniel. I wasn't thinking straight. I did hit my head when I collapsed in the Gate Room." Jack pointed out but he could see Daniel was not convinced.

"Are you sure something didn't…happen while you were alone together all that time?" Daniel hinted, he couldn't keep a mischievous smile from covering his face. Jack glared at his friend as if to say, "Drop it Daniel" before he turned and continued towards the second elevator, leaving Daniel to ponder Jack's reaction. Or lack there of.

As Jack reached the surface he saw the four teams standing waiting for him. As he approached, all 16 men stood at attention and saluted their superior. It wasn't something Jack was going to get use to any time soon, being treated like the general. He returned the salute before addressing them.

"At ease. All right you all know your assignments. SG 4 and 5 secure the outer perimeter; evacuate all non-military personnel from the area. I don't want to see a picture of the ship on tomorrow's morning news. SG 2 and 3, as soon as you find the craft set up a containment tent around the thing. Check for, and secure any hostiles that might be inside. Once the area is completely secure, I want the wreckage and any hostiles transported directly here. Understood?" Jack briefed them before their departure. He was replied with a 'yes sir' from all the men. Jack nodded.

"Alright, get going, report in when you have something." He dismissed them and the men quickly moved towards the four trucks that were making the trip. Jack felt a pang of jealously, not being able to participate in the exercise. He was going to have to get use to being stuck in the SGC for a while. Jack watched until the vehicles exited the gate and then turned to go back inside.

TBC…


	9. Chapter 9

Officers had been coming in and out of Sam's room carrying various things including a desk and chair. They had even hooked up two phones, the cables ran out of the infirmary and around the corner to the nearest vacant outlet. Jacob sat in the same chair next to Sam's bed completely dumbfounded. The desk had been set up just behind him, facing her bed as if it was an observatory. Only moments later Jack entered the room, Jacob stood from his chair, still with a look of confusion.

"Jack what's going on here?" He pointed to the desk. Jack shrugged his shoulders innocently,

"I wanted to make sure Carter would be alright so I moved my desk down here temporarily." Jack explained as if it was a perfectly logical thing to do. Jacob raised his eyebrow; he knew there was something more it. Jack couldn't avoid Jacob's "please clarify" look.

"Look it's my fault she's unconscious. I should have gotten her out of there sooner." Jack admitted. Jacob smiled slightly, finally he was coming around. He stepped towards Jack and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I know what you were going to do to get Sam off the planet. I've been there before. I just wanted to say thanks Jack. She wouldn't have made it back here if it wasn't for you." Their eyes met briefly and Jack could see that Jacob had sincerely meant what he had said. He saw the eyes of a father deeply concerned for his daughter and how grateful he was to Jack. Jack smiled and nodded, words not needing to be exchange between the two. Jacob dropped his hand from Jack's shoulder and looked at his watch, one of the very few things he had kept using since he had become a Tokra.

"I've got to go and report in, I'll be back as soon as I can." Jacob promised, leaving the room and heading towards the Stargate. Jack stepped over to the desk and picked up the phone.

"This is Colonel O'Neill, send Jacob back through the Gate." He ordered Walter before hanging up. Jack turned and faced the bed where Sam lay motionless, his heart breaking as he watched her. Occupying the seat next to her bed where Jacob had been sitting, Jack took her hand and kissed it gently before settling in for the long night ahead.

SG 2, 3, 4 and 5 had reached the co ordinates given to them by the people at NASA. They were greeted by a mostly arid desert landscape. The township of Canon City was only small; when you approached the town the Welcome Sign registered the population as 103. The SGC trucks sat on the side of the road next to a river that flowed from Mt Elbert. Only a few metres from where they are were stopped, the road became a dead end as mountains shot up from the west. It made the recovery operation slightly more difficult if the craft happened to land on the side of the mountain. The four commanders of the SG teams, Colonel James, Major Gregory, Colonel Solander and Major Kali huddled together to discuss what to do next.

"Well there's a good and bad side to this situation. The mountain provides cover from the west so the perimeter can be secured more easily and effectively. Downside is that if the ship crashed into that sucker, the recovery effort's going to take more than the men we've got here." Colonel James illustrated. They all nodded in agreement before Major Kali piped up.

"But aren't those guys at NASA experts at pinpointing the exact location where it's going to hit? Do we have the precise spot it will crash around here?" he queried, gesturing over the baron terrain. Pulling out a GPS tracking device from his backpack, Major Gregory punched in the numbers he had been given, and waited patiently as the device calculated the position for him. Walking closer towards the mountain, Gregory kept his eyes lowered at GPS transmitter and finally stopped only ten feet from where the mountainous terrain began. Double checking his position, Gregory turned back.

"According to the co ordinates given to us, if the craft keeps a constant heading it will land right where I am standing." Gregory predicted.

"Ah, just stand there for a while Gregory. Make sure we can mark the place just in case the ship veers off course." Colonel Solander joked, receiving chuckles from the other two men beside him. Gregory rolled his eyes at his colleague's attempted humour. Taking a 20c piece from his pocket, he placed it on the ground between his legs as a marker, before walking back to join the other men. Colonel James glanced at his watch.

"We have 12 minutes until this thing is suppose to crash, so let's get the outer perimeter established. Solander, Kali, arrange your men into position. Gregory, we'll unpack the tent to cover this thing." He ordered, the four men broke into two teams and began the preliminary procedures. They didn't have long to prepare before they would be kicked into damage control modeS.

11 MINUTES LATER…

The whole town of Canon City was now staked out behind the outer perimeter. SG 4 and 5 were doing a reasonable job of holding them back and removing all video and audio equipment from the scene. None of the locals knew what was going on, but they assumed it was something big. After all, it wasn't a common occurrence when trucks full of soldiers drove through their sleepy town. SG 2 and 3 stood approximately 15 feet from the outer perimeter, all the gear they needed to secure the craft ready and waiting. Colonel James checked his watch for what felt like the hundredth time in the space of twelve minutes.

"Okay one minute, everyone in position." He yelled. Every SG personnel's gaze turned and looked up into the blackness of the night sky. Just over the top of the township they could see an obscure object travelling rapidly towards them. Although it was night, the reflection of the moonlight on the surface of the craft made the silver on the exterior glisten. They took an involuntary step backwards out of instinct as the craft continued to streak across the sky. It seemed to be in the blink of an eye when suddenly the ship struck the ground with unmeasurable force, the outer hull breaking apart as the shrieking of the metal of craft skidding along the ground filled the air. It came to a stop just before the face of the mountain. When it did the people surrounding the area suddenly jolted from their momentary states of shock. The observers began to whisper intently between themselves. "Oooo's" and "ahhh's" were exchange, while many tried to grab their cameras back from the members of SG 4 and 5. Colonel James and Major Gregory, along with the rest of their men ran over to the craft and immediately began erecting a tent around it. Once the tent was secured, James and Gregory stepped inside, P90's at the ready in case of a less then friendly first encounter. On closer examination they could see the ship was badly damaged, sparks flew every which way and smoke billowed from the rear of the craft. As James rounded towards the front, he saw what appeared to be an opening.

"Gregory, I think I found the front door." He yelled. Gregory edged slowly towards the front, taking a defensive position. He kneeled down to take a closer look at the hull. Noticing a small, circular, ruby-coloured gem sitting below the opening, he recognised it as similar to the controls of a Goa'uld sarcophagus. He nodded behind him to James indicating he was going to attempt to open it; James raised his P90 to his eye level to act as backup. Reaching tentatively down towards it, Gregory turned the gem slowly to right. They heard a click as the gem fell into place; suddenly the door began to slowly slid upwards, revealing the inside of the craft. Gregory got to his feet slowly, taking a few steps backwards as they both waited for the smoke to clear. As it did, both officers peered cautiously into the craft and almost dropped their weapons in astonishment at who was inside. They could see the familiar bulky frame that belonged to Teal'c sprawled unconscious over the seat of the craft. Gregory ran out of the tent and yelled to the other members of his team.

"It's one of ours! We need medical assistance now!"

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

P.S. For intensive purposes, this is first time Teal'c will meet the President.

Major James stepped out from under the tent where the ship had crashed into the ground. The medical team rushed by him with a gurney and medical supplies to treat the injured passenger of the alien ship. Taking out his cell phone, James dialled the SGC number and was soon put straight through the Colonel O'Neill.

"O'Neill." He answered.

"It's Major James sir. We've recovered the aircraft, but you are not going to believe who's inside sir." James reported.

"Who is it Major?" He asked, obviously not in the mood for games.

"It's Teal'c sir. We don't know if he's alive or not. Our medical team's working on him now. When we secure the ship and load it into the trucks we'll be heading back to the SGC." Major James informed the Colonel.

"Good work Major. Get Teal'c back here ASAP." Colonel O'Neill ordered, sternly.

"Yes sir."

Jack hung up the phone with a deep, confused sigh. Everything was spiralling out of control. This new discovery just brought more questions for Jack to consider. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that Jack didn't even hear the familiar squeaking of Janet's shoes enter the room. The doctor had to blink several times, surprised by the sudden apparition of a desk in her infirmary.

"Colonel O'Neill?" she interrupted his thoughts. Jack rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Hey doc." He replied. Janet eyed him and the desk in front of him suspiciously.

"What are you doing here Colonel?" She asked as nicely as possible.

"Just making sure that I'm here when Carter wakes up. How's she doing?" he asked, the question foremost in his mind amongst his other concerns.

"I was just going to do my examination. You should go get some coffee, this will only take a few minutes." She encouraged him, subtly asking him to leave so the examination could be performed in private. Jack got the message loud and clear, leaving the room and heading for the commissary. Returning ten minutes later with coffee in hand, Jack knocked before entering the room. Janet nodded, indicating she was finished.

"So how's she doing doc?" He asked. Janet looked down at her chart, her face paled with doubt, concern and worry.

"It's not looking good. If she doesn't regain consciousness soon Sam may not wake up at all. Even if she does there is a chance that she could sustain long term, serious brain damage." Janet broke the horrifying news, her own eyes tearing up at her best friend's sombre diagnosis. Although Jack's facial expression didn't hardly change, Janet could see the hope in his eyes begin to dim and, just faintly, she could see a tear forming in his eye. As Janet walked past him to leave the room, she unexpectedly stopped beside him.

'It might help if you talk to her." She suggested, knowing it would make him feel better, and maybe help Sam find her way back to them.

"Thanks Doc." He replied quietly, his eyes gazing over at Sam lying on the bed. Janet left the room silently, the door closed behind her. Jack took the seat beside the bed and took her hand in his once again, willing himself to look at her sickly pale face.

"Come on Sam wake up for me please. I know that I said we'd get through it together back on the planet but I could see you were getting weaker. You would have never let me go, we both know that. So I had to go while you were asleep. I know I tricked you and I'm sorry. What makes me angry with myself is the guilt I feel for not doing what I did sooner. Now because of me, you may never come back." He said, dropping his eyes from her face guiltly.

"But the truth is… I love you too Sam." Jack admitted softly. It took a few moments for Jack to realise exactly what he had just said, and the ramifications of what he had just said.

"Great, I just admitted that I'm in love my 2IC; I'm heading straight for court marshal." He declared bitterly. Jack waited in silence for a few moments, watching Sam for any sign that she could hear him.

"Come on Sam, I need you here with me. They've put me in charge of the whole of the SGC for cryin' out loud. I need you here to make sure I don't screw it up." Jack pleaded with her.

"You in charge of the SGC? Man, we're in trouble." Sam mumbled groggily, flickering her eyes open. Jack silently thanked a higher power before turning his attention back to her.

"How ya doing?" He asked, instantly realiing that it was a probably a stupid question.

"Headache." She murmured softly, reaching her hand up to cradle her fore head. Jack's eyes fell to the blanket, fiddling with a loose strand as he summoned the courage to ask his next question.

"Just out of curiosity, how much, of what I just said, did you hear?" He asked cautiously. Sam waited for Jack to sneak a glance back up at her. Catching his eyes with hers, she smiled softly.

"Enough." She replied, squeezing his hand. Jack blushed involuntarily, and attempted to hide it by ducking his head one again. Sam attempted to clear her dry throat to relieve the embarrassment of the situation, but found herself coughing uncontrollable. Jack grabbed the glass of water from his desk and helped Sam slowly drink some. After draining the cup Sam looked around the room. Her eyes falling on the desk occupying most of the room.

"I moved my office down here temporarily. Make sure I was here when you woke up." Jack answered her unspoken query.

"Where's Daniel and Teal'c?" Sam asked, having become accustomed to seeing her friend's smiling faces whenever she woke up in the infirmary. Jack sighed at the mention of Teal'c's name.

"Danny's in his office playing with his rocks…" he began tentatively, not knowing how to tell Sam about what had happened to Teal'c without causing her to become upset and agitated.

"And what about Teal'c?" Sam pressed Jack for an answer.

"After we went through the Stargate, the Aranians apparently sent a Goa'uld Saboteur Device through the Stargate and destroyed all our base wiring. Teal'c stole Anubis' ship to fly to Abydos and use their Stargate to travel where we were. Until half an hour ago, we didn't know what happened to him. Bu a Goa'uld ship just crashed outside Canon City, Major James just reported in that Teal'c was inside. The medical team is bringing him here ASAP."

"Is he alive?' Sam asked, her voice quivering slightly in fear of his response. Jack shook his head.

"We don't know. Hopefully they'll bring him back here to get fixed up." Jack presumed. Sam nodded slowly, absorbing the information being thrown at her.

"Where's General Hammond? Why were you put in charge of the SGC?" Ahe asked in more of a sarcastic tone then she had intended. Jack pretended to look hurt.

"What? Am I the last person you could ever see running the base?" He questioned her playfully. Sam bit her lip.

"No sir, I didn't mean it like that." She explained hurriedly, not realising that she had slipped back into calling Jack "sir". But Jack had noticed, and he couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of sadness.

"I just was wanting to know why they fired General Hammond." She finished.

"Well, they blamed Hammond for letting Teal'c the ship without authorisation. It was US Government property." Jack reminded her, before thoughts of the General reminded Jack of Jacob.

"Your dad was here a little while ago, but he had to go. Report in with his Tokra superiors." Sam sighed in disappointment, she would have liked to have seen her father. Jack saw the far away look in Sam's and decided to give her some time alone to process everything that had happened.

"So, I'll send the doc in. She'll be glad to your alright. And I'll come back with Daniel later." Jack offered. Sam nodded in agreement, as much as she enjoyed Jack's company, she was exhausted.

"Jack, thank you for doing what you did. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." Sam said. Jack smiled and nodded, before turning and leaving the room.

Minutes later, Jack jogged into Lieutenant Harris' office, the poor officer once again jumped at the presence of his superior.

"Harris, didn't I order you to relax?" Jack enquired curiously, his tone indicating that he was in a much better mood than he had been during his last visit.

"Ah no sir. You did not make it an order sir. It was only a suggestion sir." Harris babbled nervously.

"Would it make it easier for you if I made it an order?" Jack asked quizzically.

"I'm sorry sir, what can I do for you sir?"

"I want my desk and all the equipment moved back into my office. No rush but before I get here tomorrow morning at 8am sharp?" Jack requested. Harris nodded his head vehemently,

"Absolutely, yes sir." He replied.

"Thank you Lieutenant, oh and relax. That's an order." He added with a smile, as headed out towards his quarters for some much needed rest.

"Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson report to the infirmary immediately." Janet's voice came over the bases' PA system into the late hours of the night. Jack yawned as he dragged himself from his restless sleep. Rubbing his eyes, Jack left his quarters and made his way towards the infirmary. He met up with Daniel in the elevator.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"I think they just brought in Teal'c." Daniel guessed, having heard rumours rippling through the base. Entering the infirmary together, Jack and Daniel spotted Teal'c on an infirmary bed; Janet was standing beside the bed writing various details on his chart. The heart monitor beeped strongly, which to Jack and Daniel's great relief indicated that their Jaffa friend was indeed alive. Major James stood near the entrance, watching on as the doctor worked on Teal'c. When he saw Jack, James saluted and handed Jack a tattered and torn rolled piece of parchment. Jack looked down at in confusion.

"What's this?" He asked.

"We found it with Teal'c in the ship sir. We thought it could be significant." Major James explained. Daniel peered at the paper over Jack's shoulder and gasped when he recognised the symbol on the paper.

"That's the symbol of Egyptian goddess Bastet. I was speaking to Thor about the Goa'uld Bastet who has just recently began to expand her forces in the hope of gaining ultimate superiority of the System Lords and the entire universe. She was the Goa'uld that had allied with the Aranians to use them to gain genetic information from other cultures in order to create a kind of super army." Daniel recalled. Jack looked over his shoulder at Daniel.

"Should I open it?" he asked, as if for permission from the archaeologist.

"Absolutely, it could be a message." Daniel guessed with a renewed interest. Breaking the seal and rolling out the parchment, Jack saw three lines of writing that were made up of black symbols.

"Daniel?" He prompted his friend to translate.

"It's a derivation of Egyptian. I think it says something along the lines of "Beware Tauri, you are next."" Daniel translated.

"Next to what?" he asked himself out loud. Jack gestured to Teal'c.

"Next to be killed…or so she thought." Jack replied bitterly, looking over at his friend lying still in the bed.

"You think Bastet's coming to attack Earth like Apophis did?" Daniel asked.

"Maybe. If she is, we're going to need the General back ASAP." Jack affirmed strongly. This was a situation Jack couldn't handle on his own. Jack handed the note to Daniel.

"I'm going to go talk to the President to get Hammond reinstated." Jack said before leaving Teal'c and returning to Sam's room, where his desk still remained. Sam was sitting up in bed when he entered.

"What's going on sir?" Sam asked, being isolated from the rest of the base left her hungry for information.

"They brought Teal'c in. Don't worry, he's alright…for the moment." Jack tried to assure her, picking up the red phone on his desk.

"This is Colonel Jack O'Neill, I need to speak with the President immediately. Yes, I'll hold." Jack's foot tapped impatiently on the floor.

"Why are you calling the President?" Sam asked.

"We've got another Goa'uld baddie, Bastet. She sent a note with Teal'c saying that she's going to attack Earth. I've got to get Hammond reinstated." Jack explained as quickly as possible. He heard a click on the other end of the line as President Lynch answered.

"Hello sir, this is Colonel O'Neill. We have a serious situation here; we have just been informed that there may be another Goa'uld coming to attack Earth. I respectfully request that you reinstate General Hammond." Jack requested, trying to sound as diplomatic and professional as possible. Sam sat in silence and strained to hear what President Lynch may have been saying.

"I'm sorry Colonel, but I can't authorise that. It has to be initiated by the Joint Chiefs." President Lynch explained.

"No offence sir, but Senator Kinsey is not going to reinstated the General. He's tried to shut down the SGC more times than I've change my underwear." Jack argued bitterly. Sam smiled to herself at Jack's rather disturbing analogy.

"You know how it works Colonel. I can't just override the foundation of the government of the United States of America." Lynch stated strongly.

"Sir, the General is the only person in our nation's history to handle anything like this. He's done it before sir, and unless we get him back, I doubt we'll be able to come up with a solution before those big honkin' Goa'uld ships come a knockin'." Jack clarified, becoming more and more agitated.

"I'm sorry Colonel, you'll have to speak to Senator Kinsey. If he approves it, then, and only then, will you get my approval for reinstatement. Colonel, I want George back as much as you do but there are ways of doing this kind of thing." The President insisted before ending the conversation rather abruptly. Jack grinded his teeth in anger, slamming the receiver down into the cradle in frustration.

"I'm guessing that wasn't the President agreeing to reinstate the General?" Sam asked rhetorically.

"No, he said I have to go through Kinsey." Jack answered angrily. Sam rolled her eyes in frustration.

"And he's never going to approve it anyway so it means we are stuck." Sam acknowledged angrily. Jack sighed,

"Yep. Oh heck, we'll get through it somehow we always do. So how are you doing?" He asked, diverting the topic conversation expertly.

"Good. Janet said I should be able to go home tomorrow with a week's downtime." Sam replied.

"That's good to hear." Jack began but then suddenly fell silent. Sam could tell that he wanted to say more, but either couldn't find the words or couldn't force them from his mouth.

"Is there something else sir?" Sam enquired, hoping to get Jack to talk to her. She was almost certain that it had something to do with what happened back on the planet. Probably her spontaneous declaration of love for him, which, until that moment, had conveniently slipped from her memory. Jack looked down at the ground nervously, clearing his throat he decided to say it and get it over and done with.

"We need to talk about what happened…before." Jack found it difficult to say to a very awake and alert Sam. Sam looked away from Jack guiltily; it was the conversation that she knew they would have to have one day.

"Sir, I just wanted to say that I…" But before Sam could finish her sentence, the phone interrupted them. Jack glanced over at the phone in a mixture of relief and irritation for interrupting probably the most important conversation he would ever have with Sam. Picking up the receiver, Jack looked over at Sam's, his eyes apologising for the interruption before answering.

"Hey Jack, Teal'c's awake." Daniel informed him.

"Alright, I'm on my way." Jack said, hanging up the phone and looking at Sam.

"Teal'c's awake, I'm going to go talk to him about this Bastet… thing." Sam nodded, swallowing the words she was going to say to him. Jack could see the disappointment in her eyes.

"We'll continue this conversation later… I promise." He added, sincerely. She smiled in response.

"Tell Daniel to come and see me when you're finished with Teal'c. I need to thank him in person." Sam requested. Jack smiled before leaving Sam to ponder what ifs.

"So Teal'c, tell us what happened." Jack and Daniel were standing beside their Jaffa friend's bed. They could see that he was still weak from whatever had happened to him. Janet was standing on the other side of the bed to hear the explanation herself.

"When I attempted to fly to Abydos in a bid to use their Stargate to gate to P0T 154, my engines failed causing me to fall from hyperspace. I encountered the ship of the Goa'uld Bastet. She captured me, and when I would not join her cause in eliminating the Tauri, she proceeded to torture me until I fell to the ground and remained stationary for sometime. Believing I was dead, she placed me in a transport pod and send me back to Earth." Teal'c described in his usual monotone voice.

"How did you survive?" Janet asked gently.

"I went into a deep state of Kelnoreem only reached by a small number of Jaffa." Teal'c answered.

" So, what your telling us is that you somehow went into Kelnoreem while you were being shocked and that's why you are still alive?" Jack guessed in amazement.

"Yes. When I was but very young, Master Bra'tac taught me of a state of Kelnoreem where it is possible to place the body in a state of hibernation far beyond that of normal Kelnoreem. This state maintains the symbiote inside a Jaffa's body but on the outside the body appears to be, as you would say, dead." Teal'c clarified.

"This is incredible. How come you haven't done this in other situations where you have been injured or hurt?" Janet queried, becoming equally intrigued by this new discovery.

"It is very difficult to reach this state. I have tried many times before but have been unsuccessful. It requires many years of practice as well as a strong subconscious connection between Jaffa and symbiote. Even Master Bra'tac himself had not reached this state during my training with him. If he has since then, I do not know." Teal'c responded.

"Well I'm just glad you're still with us, but we have bigger problem." Jack said, handing Teal'c the letter from Bastet that carried with him from deep space. Teal'c glanced at it curiously.

"Bastet claimed that she would seek revenge against SG1 for the killing of her daughter and also to eliminate them as a potential threat against her." Teal'c recalled.

"Killing of her daughter? We never even knew she existed until now." Daniel argued.

"Her daughter was during our mission to destroy the ship being build by Apophis." Jack remembered the mission well, as well as the subsequent Zaytark test.

"What about it?" Jack prompted Teal'c.

"According to Bastet, her daughter Bes was aboard the vessel. She was overseeing the construction as Apophis' queen." Teal'c clarified. Daniel and Jack looked at each other with an expression of guilt.

"But we weren't to know." Daniel insisted, as if defending their actions.

"It makes no difference. It was by our hand that her daughter was killed. She will want retribution, even if she must kill every person on this world to obtain it." Teal'c knew from the experience of being First Prime of Apophis. He had been to many planets where Apophis had wiped out a whole civilisation in order to exact revenge on a single person.

"Teal'c, you saw the ship she was on and how many Jaffa she had allied with her. Do you believe that Bastet poses a serious military threat to us now?" Jack asked, needing to make a risk assessment to take to Kinsey, even though it probably wouldn't make a shred of difference.

"Her contingent of Jaffa is very small, and I did not see any great weapon of any kind on her vessel. I do not believe Bastet will attack for some time." Teal'c judged, based on what he had seen on his brief stay on the enemy's vessel.

"But when she does it will probably be similar to Apophis. We'll be attacked from space and she will try and establish a wormhole in our Stargate for as long as possible to avoid an evacuation. Just like what I saw in the alternate reality." Daniel described sullenly.

"O'Neill, where is General Hammond. I wish to speak to him." Teal'c requested firmly. Jack sighed, obviously no one had told him about the General's removal as CO.

"I'm sorry Teal'c but the General was fired while you were away." Jack broke the news. Teal'c's eyes widen in surprise.

"For what reason?"

"They found out about you taking the ship and they blamed General Hammond for it." Jack stated briefly, feeling that he didn't need to talk specifics.

"It was not General Hammond that stole the ship. I should be the only one punished for my actions." Teal'c declared in anger. Jack laid his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I know Teal'c, it's not fair. I just talked to the President and he said he can't reinstate the General without the approval of the Joint Chiefs." Daniel rolled his eyes in a similar way to what Sam did when she had heard the news.

"Which means we have to ask approval from Kinsey, who will never give it us because it would only work towards his goal of shutting the SGC down permanently." Daniel filled in the mental blanks of the conversation. Teal'c's mouth twisted into an expression of distain at the mention of Senator Kinsey.

"I find the mere thought of Senator Kinsey to be one of sheer hatred, similar to that of Colonel Maybourne." Teal'c said, expressing his opinion of the two men quite frankly.

"Don't worry Teal'c, we all feel the same." Jack assured him with a smile.

"O'Neill, will you assist me in meeting with the President to discuss the reinstatement of General Hammond? I feel it is my duty to ensure that General Hammond is reinstated, even if it is necessary for me to leave Earth and return home." Teal'c requested.

"I don't think it will do any good Teal'c. As much as we all want the General back ordering us around and telling us what to do, I don't think it's going to happen buddy." Jack admitted, not wanting to give his friend false hope.

"I must do this O'Neill. If I do not attempt to help General Hammond, I am no better than Senator Kinsey." Teal'c replied stubbornly. Jack looked at Teal'c for a few moments thinking carefully about Teal'c's proposal.

"Alright. And, hey if we don't succeed you'll at least get to see the White House." Jack joked.

"Colonel O'Neill to the Control Room! Colonel O'Neill to the Control Room!" Walter;s voice came over the base speakers. Jack looked up at where a speaker sat on the wall.

"My job is never done," Jack murmured.

"Get better buddy, we'll go see the President tomorrow." Teal'c bowed his head towards Jack.

"I am most grateful to you O'Neill." Jack patted his friend's shoulder; he turned to leave the room but not before delivering Sam's message.

"Hey Danny boy, could ya go see Carter. I think she wants to give you a medal for saving her life." Jack mocked him, moving towards the door. Daniel followed him out of the infirmary.

"So did you two talk?" Daniel asked vaguely. Jack stopped mid stride and turned back with an innocent look on his face.

"About what?" Daniel tried to hide the smile coming to his face. He was laughing at how unobvious Jack was trying to be.

"I know something happened on that planet Jack. I could tell when we got beamed into the room that something had happened. And again when you woke up in the infirmary." Daniel observed. Jack shook his head; he wasn't going to be able to get Daniel off his case as easily as he had thought.

"Like I told you before Daniel, nothing happened." Jack affirmed then walked away from Daniel towards the elevator to avoid any further questioning. Daniel watched after him, his mind ticking over.

Maybe I'll get something out of Sam Daniel thought to himself, taking off down the hallway at a jogging pace.

"Hey Daniel." Sam greeted him happily as he entered the room

"Hey Sam, how you feeling?" Daniel asked, reactively.

"Good. I heard that you and my dad were the ones that got the Colonel and I out?" Sam asked. Daniel smiled,

"Ah yeah." He replied shyly.

"Thanks Daniel." Sam said sincerely.

"We couldn't have done it with Thor, you should be thanking him." Daniel told Sam. She laughed,

"I'll be sure to thank him next time we need him… or he needs us." Sam responded. Daniel took his glasses off his face and cleaned them on his shirt, as something to do with his hands when he asked his next question.

"Ah Sam, can I ask you something about what happened on the planet?" Daniel's voice wavered slightly from his nerves. Sam eyed him nervously, not knowing what he was going to ask about.

"Yeah sure." She agreed. Daniel replaced the glasses on his face took a deep breath before speaking.

"Did something happen between you and Jack while you were on the planet, alone, together?" Daniel asked cautiously, emphasising the last two words in his sentence. Sam's face fell instantly as a reflex, her stomach turning over. Trying to compose herself, she forced an innocent smile to face, just like Jack had.

"Why do you ask?" She posed innocently.

"Well when Jack woke up here the first thing his said was "Sam"." Daniel began, watching Sam's calm expression falter slightly, an indication that his theory was true. But Sam was ready for it. On the outside, Sam attempt to keep up her straight façade, but on the inside, she smiled at the thought.

"So?" she prompted her friend, seeming to not understand where Daniel was going with his questions.

"Well…after that he tripped over saying "Sam" instead of "Carter" twice. Come on Sam, he rarely over uses your first name. It's always "Carter" or "Major"." Daniel actively pointed out. During the first few years of the Stargate Program, Jack used Sam's name every so often. Particularly in tense and dangerous situations, like when Sam had stayed with Cassie in the nuclear silo. But it was only recently that Jack had stopped using it all together. Sam had to admit to herself, Daniel was right. But it was too risky to tell him what really happened between her and Jack. He could be put through intense interrogations if the truth was leaked to higher powers.

"Nothing happened Daniel. I don't know why he called me "Sam" you'll have to ask him." She stated firmly, as with as much conviction as she could muster.

"What about Jack moving his desk down here?" Daniel waved his arm to his left where the abandoned desk stood. Sam looked at the desk at a loss for an explanation.

"I don't know Daniel! You'll have to ask the Colonel, I was in coma remember?" Sam insisted, hoping he would drop the whole conversation, and quickly. Daniel was getting frustrated. He knew his suspicions were right but neither of them was willing to tell him the truth. It frustrated him that his friend's didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth. Although, having lived with the military regulations for the past four years, Daniel could understand why Sam and Jack were reluctant to say anything that could get them or him in trouble. Resigning himself to the fact that what happened on the planet was to remain a secret for the meantime, Daniel gave up his questioning. He dropped his arm to his side and sighed defeatedly.

"Never mind. I've got to go finish translating some artefacts I found my mission with SG 5, see ya later Sam." He said tiredly, waving goodbye as he walked out the door.

THE NEXT DAY…

As Jack entered Sam's infirmary room the next morning he noticed that his desk had been moved back like he had asked.

"That lieutenant does good work." He mumbled to himself. Soon he directed his attention to Sam's sleeping form on the bed, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity Colonel." Sam murmured, opening her eyes and stretching her long legs out from her body.

"Listening to an insane person is the second, Major." Jack quipped. Sam smiled,

"Yes sir. So where are you off to?" She enquired sleepily, noticing that Jack was wearing his formal dress uniform.

"T and I have a meeting with the President today. Teal'c's trying to convince him to reinstate Hammond." Jack explained, his voice lacked confidence that they would be able to change the President's mind.

"Well good luck sir." Sam wished him.

"Thanks, so what are you up to today? Getting out of the infirmary?" He enquired hopefully. Sam nodded,

"Yes, as soon as Janet discharges me. I'll go back to my office, finish my reports and head straight home." Sam laid out her plans for the day.

"Speaking of which, how about coming over to my place for dinner tonight?" Jack offered, attempting to appear calm, whilst trying to ignore his heart racing inside his chest and his hands shaking where they were clasped behind his back.

"Sure, I'd love to." Sam accepted graciously. Immediately, her heart skipped a few beats in the realisation of what she had just agreed to. Dinner with Jack O'Neill. At his house. With no one else. Just the two of them. Jack smiled in relief,

"Good. Seven o'clock?" Jack suggested.

"I'll be there." Sam assured him. Their eyes met for a brief moment and they instantly knew that his dinner would be more than just two friends sharing a meal.

TBC…


	11. Chapter 11

Jack and Teal'c, with a hat secured firmly over the symbol on his forehead, walked down the halls of the White House with expr

Jack and Teal'c, with a hat secured firmly over the symbol on his forehead, walked down the halls of the White House with expressions of intense focus. Although it was Teal'c's first time to the White House, his mind was occupied with more important matters. Approaching the Oval Office, a Secret Service Agent stopped Jack and Teal'c in their tracks.

"Identification please." He requested. Jack pulled his ID from his pocket, turning to Teal'c, who did the same. The officer checked the ID thoroughly before addressing them again.

"Colonel O'Neill, Murray, the President is expecting you. If you would follow me this way." He asked, taking off down the corridor then turning and opening a seemingly invisible door built into the wall. Standing at the door, the Agent stepped aside and let Jack and Teal'c inside. President Lynch was sitting at his desk, signing papers with his female receptionist next to him. At the sound of the door closing, the President looked up and spotted Jack and Teal'c.

"Jenny, I'll sign these later." The President handed the papers back to the confused receptionist who made a hurried exit. He got out of his desk chair to greet his visitors.

"Colonel O'Neill, nice to see you again." Jack shook hands with him, putting on the best smile possible under the circumstances.

"This is Teal'c. Teal'c, this is the President of the United States." Jack made the brief introductions. Teal'c bowed his head respectfully,

"It is an honour to meet you." He replied. President Lynch smiled at Teal'c's uncharacteristic behaviour for a visitor to the Oval Office.

"I have heard a lot about you Teal'c." Teal'c nodded.

"As I have you." President Lynch indicated towards the couches in the middle of the room. Jack took a seat opposite the President while Teal'c preferred to stand.

"So what brings you to my office Colonel." He enquired, as if he was perfectly oblivious to their conversation the day before.

"Well I didn't want to meet with you, Teal'c did. Teal'c." Jack handed the reins to his friend to explain why they were there.

"Thank you O'Neill. I have requested to meet with you, as I would like General Hammond to be returned as the commander of the SGC." The Jaffa began. President Lynch looked at Jack and shook his head.

"Colonel, as I told you over the phone, I can't reinstate George. It's a matter with the Joint Chiefs." He reiterated. Jack held out his hands in a defensive manner.

"I know that sir, but try telling that to Teal'c." Jack replied with a smile of satisfaction, gesturing to his friend. The President's eyes following Teal'c's huge frame up to his stern expression, gulping at the sheer size of the Jaffa.

"Unfortunately Teal'c, it is not my place to say whether or not General Hammond should be reinstated. It is for the Joint Chiefs to decide. I cannot help you." But Teal'c was not dissuaded by Lynch's explanation.

"If it was not for General Hammond you would most probably not be alive." Teal'c pointed out.

"Or you'd have a snake in your head. Teal'c, show 'em Junior." Jack said, knowing he would enjoy watching the President squirm at the sight of the Goa'uld. Teal'c lifted up his shirt, exposing the X where his pouch was located. Seconds later the Goa'uld larvae began to emerge, the nasty lizard-like creature with large teeth and beady eyes. Lynch jumped out of his seat and scrambled behind it in sheer terror at watching the creature emerging out of the Jaffa's abdomen. Jack himself winced at the sight of the Goa'uld, even though he'd seen them before many times and even had one implanted in him on the odd occasion, it never got any easier to see them. Jack nodded at Teal'c asking him to put it away. Soon the President was back in his seat, his eyes barely leaving Teal'c.

"I guess what Teal'c is trying to say is that without Hammond we'd all be either be dead or have one of those things in our head controlling our bodies. I've had one of those things in my body, take my word for it, it ain't pretty." Jack assured him from personal experience. President Lynch tried to slow down his breathing after getting the fright of his life.

"If I overruled the decision and authority of the Joint Chiefs it would be political suicide." He exclaimed in his defence trying to get his visitors to see reason.

"Look, the last time you let Kinsey handle things with the SGC we almost got wiped out completely by two Goa'uld ships from space because he wouldn't listen to what we had to say. If it weren't for my team defying Kinsey's order, we wouldn't be sitting here discussing this. I don't think you want to make the same mistake twice." Jack pressured him with strong tenacity. The President's eyebrows raised in surprise, catching an unknown portion of Jack's statement.

"Twice?" He queried. Teal'c decided to answer the question himself.

"The Goa'uld Bastet is planning to attack Earth just as Apophis did previously. I have experienced this from being captured by the Goa'uld and tortured until near death." Teal'c recounted. Lynch looked from Teal'c to Jack for confirmation of Teal'c's claim. Jack nodded, taking the note that had been sent by Bastet from his pocket and handing to the President, explaining it contents as Lynch opened it.

"I realise it is not in English, but roughly translated it says, "Beware People of Earth, you are next."" The President was flabbergasted by the ghastly warning, sitting in silence staring at the note. This was when Jack saw the opportunity to go in for the kill.

"This is a warning. This gives us a chance to do something to prevent this. But we can't do it without Hammond." Jack declared firmly. The President looked up from the note, up at Teal'c, down to the pouch where the Goa'uld had emerged and then finally at Jack. Clearing his throat to remain composed.

"In light of this new information I believe it be in the best interests of all concerned that General Hammond be reinstated as Commander of the SGC." Lynch made the announcement. Teal'c bowed respectfully in thanks and Jack shook the President's hand gratefully with a satisfied smile of his face.

"I'll make the call immediately Colonel, Teal'c. Thank you for coming today and alerting me to the events and the actions of Senator Kinsey." The President thanked them both before getting a Secret Service Agent to escort them out of the Oval Office. Outside the White House, Jack and Teal'c walked down the stairs to the car that waited for them.

"So? How'd did you like your first visit to the White House Teal'c?" Jack asked with a smile. A very rare smile appeared on Teal'c's face.

"I was most enjoyable O'Neill. The President is indeed a honourable man."

The official announcement that General Hammond had been reinstated reached the SGC before Teal'c and Jack even touched down in Colorado Springs. When they entered the base in the late afternoon, they were met with cheers from their fellow officers. Most men made sarcastic comments that it was a godsend because it meant that Colonel O'Neill was no longer in charge but Jack took them in good humour. As Jack was making his way through the SGC he ran into Janet in the elevator.

"Hey Doc, did Carter get discharged?" He enquired, hoping she was able to keep his dinner invitation.

"Yes, she's resting at home under doctor's orders. By the way sir, I hear you got the Presidents to reverse the General's dismissal. Thank you sir." Janet congratulated him.

For the rest of the day was stuck in his office, signing reports and telling his story of showing the President Teal'c's little Goa'uld friend to every officer that entered the room. Teal'c was extremely tired after the plane trip and proceeded to Kelnoreem in his room for the remainder of the day while Daniel remain his hermit self, with his head permanently buried in his translations. At 1700, Jack left the SGC to prepare for what could be the most important dinner of his life, stopping off at the grocery store to pick up the essentials. It was rarity that Jack O'Neill ever cooked anything but steak, hamburgers and sausages on the BBQ. But tonight, Jack was going to go all out. Swinging by the cheesecake shop Jack picked up Sam's favourite, Black Forest Cherry Cake for dessert and then headed straight home.

At 1845, Jack's blood pressure was finally beginning to return to normal levels. The Chicken Mornay was simmering away softly on the stove with a pot of pasta beside it and steam vegetables beside that. His dining room table was set with a silk tablecloth that Jack had had buried away in the back of his cupboard. Wine glasses stood in the centre with two candles, the knives and forks placed carefully in front of the seats at either end of the table. Pacing about the kitchen like a nervous teenager, Jack was wearing a dark blue, casual but stylish shirt and beige trousers with brown dress shoes.

On the other side of town, Sam was as nervous, if not more than Jack. She discarded outfit after outfit in frustration. Nothing seemed quite right. After 45 minutes of digging through her closet, Sam was finally happy with what she was wearing. But when she glanced at the clock, Sam noticed it was only fifteen minutes until she had to be there. And she still had to pick up a bottle of wine. Grabbing her purse she ran out the front door and jumped into her car, heading for the nearest bottle shop. Soon she was driving towards Jack's house, and the dinner she had been looking forward to for over four years.

After ten minutes of pacing Jack was interrupted by his doorbell chiming…

TBC…


	12. Chapter 12

"That better not be Daniel

"That better not be Daniel." Jack cursed under his breath. Taking a deep steadying breath to calm his nerves, Jack walked over to the door and opened it. When he saw Sam standing there, she took his breath away. She was wearing a white halter blouse that fell just low enough to show minimal cleavage, with a knee length, light blue skirt and silver sandals. Jack had to figuratively pick his chin up from the floor in time to invite her in.

"I thought I'd bring us some wine." Sam handed him the bottle. Jack looked down at the label.

"Nice choice." Jack commented, leading Sam into his dining room and pulling her chair out to allow her to sit down. Sam stared at everything in front of her. The silk tablecloth, the candles, and not to mention what Jack was wearing. She was totally blown away. It was so much more than she had ever imagined. Jack walked into the kitchen to check on the dinner.

"Dinner will be ready momentarily, how you feeling?" he asked over his shoulder, sparking conversation to avoid awkward silences.

"Great. Janet says there won't be any long term damage thank goodness. How about you?" Sam asked nervously. Jack walked out from the kitchen with a plate in each hand, placing one in front of Sam and the other to his empty seat. Taking a corkscrew from his pocket, he popped the cork and poured them both a glass of wine. Jack finally sat down in his seat before he replied.

"Yeah I'll be fine." Jack said, he looked up and saw that Sam was totally engrossed in the food in front of her. She couldn't believe her eyes, or her nose for that matter.

"You cooked this?" she asked in disbelief. Jack pretended to be hurt by her comment.

"Yes Carter, I did. From scratch." Sam stared at Jack in total incredulity.

"Well no offence sir, but I didn't know you could cook." Sam admitted. Jack smiled to himself,

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me Major." Jack replied mockingly.

"But enough about me I'm dying to know how it turned out." Sam tentatively reached for her fork and took a small piece of chicken breast covered in the rich, creamy sauce and placed it carefully in her mouth. She could feel Jack's eyes on her the whole time, trying to gauge her reaction. Swallowing the food, Sam couldn't help but smile.

"This is geart." Sam commented in amazement, she couldn't remember when she had tasted chicken that good in a long time.

"Really?" Jack asked in surprise. Sam nodded,

"Yeah, this is really great sir." Sam replied, wiping the corner of her mouth subconsciously. Jack let out a deep breath; glad that the first part of dinner had gone off without a hitch. Taking his glass in hand, he held it up for a toast, Sam followed his lead, the glasses sitting only inches apart from one another.

"To Daniel, Jacob and our grey buddy Thor. For without them we wouldn't be here toasting them." Jack acknowledged, their glasses clinking together and each took a sip of the wine before tucking into the main course. When they had finished Jack cleared the table in preparation for dessert. Sam took another sip of wine. Relaxing slightly under its calming effect.

"I heard about the President reinstating General Hammond, what did you do to convince him to overruled the Joint Chiefs?" Sam asked curiously, her voice having to carry into the kitchen, where Jack was slicing the cake. Jack, wanting to see the look on Sam's face when he told her about Junior, waiting until he was back into the dining room before answering. Placing a plate in front of Sam, he watched out of the corner of his eye for her reaction as she looked down at the plate. He was greeted with a large smile and her blue twinkling eyes. Sam couldn't believe her eyes.

"This is Black Forest Cherry Cake?" she asked, instantly recognising it. Jack nodded.

"Yeah." he replied nonchalantly. Sam looked up at him with a look of curiosity and delight.

"How did you know?" she asked dumbfounded. Jack shrugged his shoulders,

"That was the cake you had at your promotion party when you became a Major. Doc said it was your favourite." Jack replied, as if it wasn't a big thing that he remembered something like that after 3 or 4 years. The smile on Sam's face widened at Jack's thoughtfulness. She was beginning to realise how much more there was to him than she knew, and how much more she was beginning to love him.

"The President?' she prompted Jack of her original question, taking a bite of her dessert.

"We showed him Junior." Jack answered frankly. Sam almost choked on her cake as she began to giggle at just the thought of Teal'c in the Oval Office with his symbiote emerging from the Jaffa's abdomen.

"Your not serious?" She enquired, putting her hand over her mouth consciously to avoid any of the dessert making a re-apperance. Jack smiled at her.

"Oh yeah. I've never seen a politician jump so high in my life." He joked; he couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"Oh and I think I got old Senator Kinsey fired." Jack added as icing to an already perfect cake. Sam nodded in appreciation/

"You did the world a great favour by your actions today." Sam joked, imitating the stereotypical Presidential tone used in movies. They looked up at each other and as their eyes met and it was as if time was standing still. An unknown and unspoken force preventing them from looking anywhere but into each other's eyes. Sam felt a surge of emotion as she saw through Jack's brown eyes and into a heart and a mind that was usually closed off to everyone. It was the first glimpse she had gotten of his true feelings since the Zaytark incident, a rare glimpse into the real Jack O'Neill. Jack was lost in her sparkling blue eyes, it felt as if she had captured him and wasn't about to let him go. And Jack didn't want to be let go, he wanted to be wherever she was, to be close to her, to love her. Slowly their walls had begun to crumble, along with the fear of court marshal. But a court marshal was the last thing on their minds; there was nothing else. No one else. No Air Force. No regulations, Not titles. Hust two people who loved each other and were on the verge of expressing that love in ways they had never dared dream about. But, it was if the rest of the world was against them, the familiar ringing of Jack's cell phone filtered through Sam and Jack's thoughts, dissolving them into oblivion. Jack regretfully took his cell phone from his pocket and answered it in an annoyed tone.

"O'Neill."

"Hey Jack, it's Greg from the Observatory. Just thought I'd let you know there's going to be some shooting stars tonight if you want to check them out. Over Jupiter, should be making their tracks in a few minutes time." He informed Jack. They had met socially at the observatory and had remained in contact with each other, swapping information on what was happening in the sky. Jack looked at Sam and had an idea.

"Thanks buddy, you just made my day." Jack said, before hanging up the phone. Sam put a smile on her face to try and hide her disappointment of their moment being shattered but Jack saw right though it.

"Who was that?" she asked. Jack smiled mischievously to himself, standing from his chair Jack walked over to her and held out his hand like a gentleman.

"I have something special in mind." Jack answered cryptically. Sam took his hand as he led her from the dining room, out of the house and up the ladder to where his telescope sat. Sam sat down on a blanket that Jack had placed across the roof. She watched with interest as Jack align the telescope to the right position in the sky. It was a beautiful night; the clouds that had plagued the sky in previous days had cleared completely, as if just for this special occasion. When Jack had aligned the telescope with Jupiter, one of the many bright stars in the sky, he motioned to Sam to take a look. Sliding over to where Jack sat, Sam looked up into the sky through the telescope. Her heart jumped when she spotted a shooting star streaking across the sky, followed by several more bright streaks.

"It's beautiful." She breathed. It was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.

"Quite a show huh?" Jack commented, making Sam shiver as she realised how close his was to her. She could feel his breathe flow over her skin of her neck, making the hair stand on end.

"Yes it is." Sam whispered, she could feel herself beginning to lose control again; just in the knowledge he was sitting so close to her. Jack knew it was now or never to talk about what had happened on Arania.

"Look, Sam…" He began but before he could continue Sam placed her index finger over his lips, turning to look at him before she spoke

"You've already said everything you've needed to while I was in the infirmary. You were willing to go along with Hymothesias' sick plan to protect me. I'm going to leave before either of us do something that will ruin both our careers. Good night." Sam whispered, standing without another word and disappearing into the night. Leaving Jack alone the roof to contemplate what might have been.

TWO DAYS LATER…

SG1 were scheduled on their first mission since the whole incident with the Aranians. Sam had taken two days off as a precautionary measure ordered by the Doc, while Teal'c returned to his usual inquisitive but stoic self. Jack, Daniel and Teal'c were waiting in the Gate room for their last team member to grace them with her presence. Jack hadn't seen Sam since she left him alone on his roof two evenings ago, the day after he had buried himself in paperwork to avoid dealing with the disappointment of what had happened. But today it was back to business as usual. Their mission was to PY7 827, where there were some temples that Daniel was dying to get a look at. The computer was dialling, as the sixth Chevron was being locked, Jack glanced at his watch apprehensively.

"Where is Carter? She's ten minutes late." He asked out loud, speaking to no one in particular but addressing anyone within earshot. Daniel pushed his glasses further onto the bridge of his nose before replying.

"I dunno, I saw her earlier but she didn't say anything." Daniel replied. Teal'c nodded.

"I concur. I did not hear from Major Carter that she would be delayed." Jack frowned in concern; it wasn't like Sam to be late. Just then, the door to the Gate room slid open and General Hammond walked in alongside Major Carter. Jack noticed that that Sam had a distinctive sly smile on her face, which she just happened to have directed towards him.

"Chevron 7 locked!" The bright blue flash exploded from the start and retracted just as quickly to form the shimmering event horizon.

"Something wrong General?" Jack asked curiously.

"No Colonel. I thought I should be the one to tell you all in person that as of 0600 this morning, Major Carter is no longer in Air Force and will be saying on at the SGC as a civilian." Hammond delivered the unexpected news. Daniel and Jack's jaws dropped in surprise; Teal'c's head tilted sideway's slightly at the news. When Jack turned to ask Sam why, he caught her wicked smile and the twinkling in her eye and realised he didn't need to ask why she did it. He already knew. She did it for him. For their relationship.

"SG1 you have a go." The General ordered before he left the room to return to his office. Teal'c and Daniel headed straight up the ramp while Jack and Sam stared at each other, with identical silly smiles on their faces. Daniel turned back, clearing his throat to interrupt Jack and Sam's moment. Jack snapped back to reality, looking up the Stargate then back at Sam.

"After you…Doctor." He emphasised, gesturing towards the ramp. Staring out after Sam with wonderment, he followed his team up the ramp and plunged into the event horizon.

6 MONTHS LATER…

"Jack, what are you doing? Where are you taking me?" Sam asked in an inquisitive tone. He had blindfolded her while they were still at the SGC and they were now at his house. Jack, with two envelopes in his hand, was leading her over to where he had positioned his telescope on the grass. The same blanket as he had used before was laid across the ground where a bottle of wine on ice stood with two champagne glasses. Holding Sam's hand to steady her while she kneeled, Jack took a seat beside her and took a deep breath, readying himself.

"Okay you can take it off." He instructed, watching Sam's reaction as she pulled the blindfold over her head and looked at her surroundings. Sam couldn't help but smile when she saw the champagne sitting waiting for them and the "oh so conveniently" placed telescope beside them.

"Jack, what's going on?" she asked curiously. Jack gestured to the telescope indicating Sam should take a look. Glancing into the lens, Sam spotted two tiny stars in the field diameter.

"They're yours." Jack said softly. Sam looked away from the telescope and back towards Jack.

"Mine?" Jack nodded,

"Yes." A confused look swept over Sam's face, not quite understanding what Jack was saying. Jack held up the two envelopes he had in his hands. Sam read the cover of them and immediately began to melt inside.

"You bought me star?" she enquired, tears coming to her eyes at Jack's unbelievably romantic gesture.

"Two actually." Jack replied frankly before continuing. Sam's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Two?"

"If you look into the telescope again you'll see the two of them." Jack explained watching as Sam looked up into the sky.

"Since it's not fair that one person should have two, you have to choose which one you want. The one on your left is named "Samantha Elizabeth Carter" for obvious reasons." Jack began.

"And the second one?" Sam enquired.

"The one on the right is named… "Mrs Samantha Elizabeth O'Neill." Jack replied, taking the small velvet box from his trouser pocket and opening it to reveal a stunning engagement ring. In the middle sat a large, dark blue sapphire and then surrounding it, a circle of diamonds that reflected the moonlight. Sam stared at the ring in awe; her hands began to shake as tears steadily began to flow down her cheeks.

"Sam, I love you, will you marry me?" Jack asked, holding his breath for her response.

"Oh my god!" she whispered under her breath, so shocked but elated that she could barely speak. Jack reached for her trembling hand, taking the ring from its box and slipping it onto her finger. Sam looked down at her hand and then up at Jack, her decision made in a heartbeat.

"I think I'll take the one on the right."

Fin.

Aww, that's so cute!


End file.
